Ocean County Mom Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child’s Death

Natalie Sabie, a 35-year-old mother from Lacey Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the death of her 2-year-old son, Vincent. Sabie pleaded guilty in July to aggravated manslaughter and child endangerment charges related to the incident that occurred a year ago.

Last September, Vincent was exposed to an illegal drug in his own home. Sabie and another individual, whose identity was not disclosed, were present at the time. The child was rushed to Community Medical Center in Toms River but unfortunately succumbed to the drug’s effects. A toxicology report conducted about a month later revealed a significant amount of fentanyl in Vincent’s system, which was determined to be the cause of death.

Sabie had been held at the Ocean County Jail since her arrest. The incident highlights a concerning trend of child drug deaths, which have seen a nearly six-fold increase among children under five years old in the past 20 years, according to research published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics. The study also revealed that nearly 44% of these child drug deaths occurred at home, with at least 87.5% being unintentional.