Woman Pleads Guilty to Killing 2-Year-Old Son After Giving Him Sippy Cup With Chocolate Syrup and Methadone in It

A Virginia woman admitted on Tuesday to killing her 2-year-old son by lacing his sippy cup with methadone.

Sherrell M. Rivera, 32, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and child neglect causing serious injury in the death of her son, Kruz Rivera.

Chesterfield Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive child at Martha Kay Motel on November 14, 2021.

Rivera reportedly lived at the motel with her 2-year-old, the boy’s father, and another child.

Little Kruz was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 9:13 a.m.

Officers searched the motel room and discovered a sippy cup containing an unknown substance, three-quarters full.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner examined the boy’s cup and performed a toxicology analysis. The results showed the substance in the cup was a mixture of formula, chocolate syrup, Benadryl, and methadone.

Kruz’s manner of death was ruled a homicide with the cause of death being methadone toxicity.

Both the mother and father have prescriptions for methadone, which is used to treat opioid addiction. Kruz was also born addicted to methadone due to his mother’s abuse of the drug during the pregnancy.

Rivera was also charged with murder, but as part of the plea deal prosecutors dropped the charge.

A recommendation for sentencing, however, was not part of the plea agreement. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 7.