VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The disturbing details surrounding a two-year-old girl's death are coming into focus after an autopsy revealed deadly levels of Benadryl in her body.
Virginia Beach detectives have called Lanoix Andrade's death suspicious from the start. The medical examiner’s office said the toddler’s cause of death was "acute diphenhydramine toxicity." Diphenhydramine is commonly known as Benadryl.
Family Practitioner Dr. Ryan Light said overdoses from the drug in children are rare but could cause seizures and even death.
“It can make you very irritable,” he said. “It can cause headaches; it can cause visual disturbances; it can cause hallucinations. When you get to the point of toxicity, it's not as just putting you to sleep. Some people do go to sleep, and that's where it leads into a coma and then either a cardiac arrest or arrest of the heart because of the arrhythmia that it can cause because of the toxicity.”
Police found the toddler dead inside Cutty Sark motel at the Oceanfront on August 1. Court records showed her mother Leandra Andrade, 38, checked into the motel after losing a custody battle in Washington, D.C.
Investigators found Andrade unconscious in the same room and say they used Narcan to wake her up.
Andrade now faces an upgraded charge of second-degree murder in connection to her daughter’s death. She was originally charged with a felony of child neglect and abuse.
Andrade’s lawyer, James Broccoletti, said Friday. "The circumstances are very upsetting for her and they’re looking forward to their day in court."
"It's very distressing, all the circumstances,” Broccoletti said. “We're looking forward to the preliminary hearing to test all the evidence."
Meanwhile, Fabio E. Andrade, Jr., Lanoix's father, is heartbroken.
He sent a statement regarding the recent charges saying:
Lanoix will always be the love of my life. While today’s charges will never bring back my daughter, I am thankful to the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for seeking justice for her senseless murder. I look forward to seeing justice served for Lanoix and continue to ask for privacy so that I may mourn my beloved angel.
Andrade is still being held at Virginia Beach City Jail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 14.
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