Arrest warrant issued for father of child who died of fentanyl overdose

BATON ROUGE – The father of a child who died from a fentanyl overdose in late October has reportedly had a warrant issued for his arrest for over a month and has not been located. 

Charles Lee, the father of J’ahrei Paul, has had a warrant issued for his arrest for over a month. According to arrest documents, the warrant was signed Nov. 4 and called for Lee’s arrest on one charge each of negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles. 

Ja’Mira Paul, the boy’s mother, was jailed in Texas at the time of her child’s death and tells WBRZ her son was in the care of his father, Charles Lee. She says Lee called a family member after J’ahrei fell ill on Halloween, and the infant’s grandmother had someone drive to Lee’s apartment to pick up the child and take him to a hospital.

After J’ahrei was dropped off at the hospital, family claims Lee left Ja’Mira’s other two children with their aunt and then disappeared.

Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Walters stepped down in the aftermath of J’ahrei’s death. 

J’ahrei’s was the second overdose death of a child under the agency’s watch in six months.