Parents of 4-Year-Old Girl Who Overdosed on 'Rainbow Fentanyl' Charged with Manslaughter

Joseph Edward C. Walker and Judy Bribiescas have both been charged with first-degree manslaughter

The parents of a 4-year-old girl in Washington State who fatally overdosed on "rainbow fentanyl" pills have been charged with manslaughter.

Joseph Edward C. Walker, 30, and Judy Bribiescas, 39, were both charged with first-degree manslaughter, according to Benton County Corrections Department jail documents. The incident occurred on Dec. 27, 2023, and the girl, Ryleigh, died that same day, a Kennewick Police Department (KPD) spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.

Bribiescas was also charged with misdemeanor drug possession and is being held on a $200,000 bond. She was taken into custody on the morning of Dec. 28.

Walker was also charged with violating a previous protection order and is being held on a $500,000 bond. He was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon.

It's not immediately clear if either suspect has entered pleas to the charges or retained counsel.

Prior to Ryleigh’s overdose, a no-contact order between Walker and Bribiescas had been issued in July 2022, the KPD spokesperson tells PEOPLE.

Related: How Fentanyl Became One of the Biggest Causes of Drug Overdoses in the U.S.

The couple’s 8-year-old son told investigators that he and Ryleigh became separated from their parents while Walker and Bribiescas were in the bathroom. Authorities say that during that time, Ryleigh consumed the fentanyl pills. She allegedly swallowed at least two fentanyl pills along with another non-white colorful pill found lodged in her nose — known as "Rainbow" or "Skittles" fentanyl — said the KPD spokesperson.

The incident occurred at Econo Lodge on the 300 block of Ely Street in Kennewick, Wash., where the couple lived, according to the police spokesperson.

After authorities responding to a 911 call discovered the girl unresponsive, she was taken to the hospital, where she died, say police.

Econo Lodge security footage documented Walker "carrying [Ryleigh] out of the hotel room and then returning her inside the hotel room," states a Kennewick Police Department Dec. 28 news release. The footage continued to show Walker allegedly "leaving the hotel room without her and leaving," said the KPD spokesperson.

Police allegedly found more fentanyl pills after a later search of the motel, according to the spokesperson.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine,” according to the CDC. “Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.”

Signs of an overdose include “pinpoint pupils,” falling asleep or losing consciousness, slow, weak, or no breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, a limp body, cold and/or clammy skin, and discolored skin, lips and nails, according to the CDC.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.