Toddler Almost Died, NJ Man Gets 17-year Sentence in Drug Case

A Burlington County man is going to federal prison for more than 17 years after a disturbing case in which a one-year-old nearly died from an apparent cocaine overdose.

29-year-old Daniel Garcia, Jr., of Maple Shade, pleaded guilty in November to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.

He was sentenced this week to 211 months behind bars.

Child Nearly Dies After Medical Emergency

According to federal authorities, on June 23, 2024, Garcia and another individual rushed a one-year-old to a hospital after the child became unresponsive, wasn’t breathing, and was suffering seizures. The child was stabilized and later flown to a children's hospital for further treatment.

Testing showed the child had benzodiazepine, fentanyl, and cocaine in their system. Medical staff told investigators that benzodiazepine and fentanyl were administered during treatment, but cocaine was not. A doctor said the child's symptoms, including seizure, cardiac arrest, and cardiac arrhythmia, were consistent with a cocaine overdose.

The child's heart stopped twice during treatment, but was revived and survived.

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Surveillance Video Shows Suspicious Activity

Authorities say that while the child was still being treated, Garcia left the hospital and drove home. Surveillance video showed him taking a laundry bag from his residence, placing it into a different vehicle, parking that car away from the home, and then returning to the hospital in the original vehicle.

Drugs, Cash, Guns Found

The next day, investigators executed a search warrant at Garcia's home and found about $4,200 in cash, items commonly used for drug packaging, and ammunition.

A day later, they searched the vehicle seen in the surveillance video and found the laundry bag along with roughly $150,000 in cash, large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, multiple other drugs, packaging materials, digital scales, and three loaded firearms.

Sentence and Forfeitures

In addition to his prison sentence, Garcia will serve two concurrent five-year terms of supervised release. He also agreed to forfeit three firearms, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, and over $155,000 seized by law enforcement.

Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com