AKRON, Ohio — 3News has confirmed that a mother and grandfather have both pleaded guilty in connection with the 2022 fentanyl poisoning death of a 2-year-old Akron girl.
Officials say 24-year-old Kayera Lenoir accepted a deal that saw her admit to third-degree felony charges of involuntary manslaughter along with first-degree misdemeanor charges of child endangering. In addition, 58-year-old Timothy Lenoir pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony child endangering offense, with homicide charges being dropped.
Kayera's daughter, Valentina Lenoir, died on Oct. 27, 2022, after ingesting illicit drugs containing fentanyl. In January of 2023, the Summit County medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, but it wasn't until last October that both Kayera and Timothy Lenoir were arrested in the case. According to the original indictment, Valentina's death "was the proximate result of Kayera Lenoir and Timothy Lenoir committing or attempting to commit the felony offense of Endangering Children."
Kayera and Timothy Lenoir are both scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7 in Summit County Common Pleas Court. Each faces up to three years in prison.
