A 28-year-old Jennings woman is facing criminal charges after cops in Jefferson Davis Parish determine her illegal drug use led to the death of her unborn child. Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes says Shandelynn Benoit has been charged with third-degree feticide.”
“It was determined that Shandelynn Benoit, after interviewed, admitted to continued use of fentanyl and heroin throughout a pregnancy,” Semmes said.
Semmes says Benoit admitted to taking fentanyl and heroin to alleviate stomach pain.
“We also learned that she had been advised by medical professionals on numerous occasions to cease the use of the drugs, as it proposed a significant risk to the unborn child, including death,” Semmes said.
Semmes says his detectives have never investigated a case like this.
“We felt that the negligence on her part was so egregious that we definitely pursued charges against her for this,” Semmes explained.
Semmes says the person who supplied Benoit with the fentanyl has also been arrested.