Carnegie Man Pleads Guilty In Son's Overdose Death
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Carnegie man whose son died after eating a chicken nugget that had come in contact with fentanyl pleaded guilty.
Van Redding appeared in front of a judge Monday, pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter along with drug and gun charges.
Police say 4-year-old Avant Redding died in May after ingesting fentanyl at a residence on Hutton Street in Carnegie.
According to police, 36-year-old Van Redding got into a car accident while rushing his son to St. Clair Hospital. He told investigators he had taken the child to McDonald's for a chicken nugget Happy Meal, and shortly after they came home, the boy began to vomit. The child later died at the hospital.
While inspecting Redding's apartment on Hulton Street in Carnegie, police found a bag of white powder, which was later identified as fentanyl.
A toxicology report determined Avant Redding died of exposure to fentanyl.
In exchange for his plea, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office said the remaining charges were withdrawn and Redding will spend 4 to 8 years in jail. He was also sentenced to 3 years probation, ordered to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation and ordered to complete parenting classes.
