Grandma’s boyfriend admitted to causing Baby Mehlaya’s fatal fentanyl overdose

Syracuse, New York. In court Monday, the boyfriend of Mehlai Blue’s grandmother admitted that he caused the 2-year-old’s fatal overdose through negligence.

The boyfriend, Curtis Rouse, 52, was sentenced in a plea deal to 1.5 to 3 years in prison for the death and 5 years for the weapons charge. These sentences will run concurrently.

Charges against the baby’s grandmother are set to be dropped as Rose has taken full responsibility.

Mehlaya Blue died of an overdose on April 25, 2023 after taking fentanyl. She had 15 times more of the drug than for an adult. For more than a year, no one has been detained in the case of the child’s death.

AND Syracuse.com | A Post-Standard investigation revealed the suspicious nature of the death and heartbreak of Melai’s mother, Haven Blue. She said she carried her baby’s gray ashes in a clear plastic sandwich bag in her purse.

Related article: The child’s death and the mystery: how did Mehlaya get fentanyl? “I felt my heart break”

In August, Rose and Natasha Gregory, 46, were both charged with manslaughter. On Monday, Rouse took full responsibility for the child’s death.

Rouse pleaded guilty to manslaughter and attempted unlawful possession of a weapon after a ghost gun was found in his home. In exchange for a guilty plea, he will spend a maximum of five years in prison.

Gregory cried quietly all Monday. Her charges will be dropped when Rouse is formally sentenced.

Gregory and Rouse were caring for Melaya on the day she died, according to a death report obtained by the state Office of Children and Families syracuse.com. Gregory went to work and Rouse stayed behind to care for Mehlaya, Rouse told state authorities.

Rouse admitted in court Monday that he used cocaine and fentanyl in front of Mehlaya, which allowed her access to the drugs. According to Judge Ted Limpert, it is still unclear exactly how the child ingested the drugs.

Rouse told Gregory when Mehlaya went limp and had blood on her cheek, the state report said. Gregory told authorities she thought he was joking at first. Around seven o’clock in the morning, they both called the emergency services.

Rouse told investigators that Mehlaya was run over by the family’s dog outside, hitting landscaping bricks. Later, he said, she fell off the scooter and injured her nose.

According to the state report, an autopsy on Mehlaya showed that in addition to the drugs, she had bruises on her face and back. This has not been explained yet.

After her daughter’s death, her mother Heaven Blue was left with grief and unanswered questions as she still did not know how her child died.

“I felt my heart break,” she told Syracuse.com in 2023. “And it didn’t come back.”

Mehlaya is one of about 150 people in Onondaga County killed in 2023 by fentanyl. An amount equal to five or 10 grains of salt can kill an adult.

“I felt that my daughter was neglected. I felt like she was not properly cared for that night,” she said.

Mehlaya was a charmer who loved dancing and cookies, Blue said.

Rouse is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10. Gregory will also have her charges dismissed.

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? You can contact her at [email protected].