Rachel Mitchell, Maricopa County Attorney | Maricopa County Attorney'S Office
Rachel Mitchell, Maricopa County Attorney | Maricopa County Attorney'S Office
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has confirmed that Natalie Tate, born in December 1986, received a sentence of 12.5 years for the death of her 18-month-old child from a fentanyl overdose last year.
On January 29, 2024, Phoenix Police responded to a call made by Tate regarding her unresponsive child. Upon arrival, officers discovered that Tate had used fentanyl the previous night and left pills accessible on a table. After consuming the drugs, she fell asleep and later found her pill container open with blue residue on the floor. Tate had put her children to bed for the night but discovered her baby unresponsive the following morning. Phoenix Fire pronounced the child dead at the scene, and the medical examiner determined acute fentanyl consumption as the cause of death.
Tate admitted guilt to several charges:
- One count of Manslaughter, classified as a Class Two Felony
- One count of Child Abuse, classified as a Class Three Felony
- One count of Attempt to Commit Child Abuse, classified as a Class Three Felony
"The recklessness of this fentanyl-addicted mother caused her toddler to grab hold of a lethal dose of fentanyl," stated County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. "This drug is everywhere in our community, and we must do all we can to protect the most vulnerable: our children."
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