A Norfolk woman has pleaded guilty to felony homicide after giving her 3-month-old granddaughter a fatal dose of adult prescription medication earlier this year.
Alvetta Juanita Haskins, 51, admitted to putting her own antipsychotic medication — Seroquel — along with cough syrup into the baby’s bottle while babysitting on April 21, 2024. The baby was unresponsive by early the next morning. Haskins called 911, and paramedics rushed the infant to the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, where she was pronounced dead.
The baby had been healthy before that night and hadn’t shown any signs of illness or distress. At first, doctors suspected an unsafe sleep environment might be to blame. But toxicology results later showed a fatal level of Seroquel in the baby’s system — a medication only prescribed for serious mood disorders in adults.
Haskins had a valid prescription for Seroquel and told investigators she had added it, along with cold medicine, to the bottle. While her exact motive remains unclear, authorities believe it was an attempt to calm the baby down.
Norfolk Police charged Haskins with second-degree murder in January 2025. On October 29, she entered a plea deal to reduce the charge to felony homicide, which under Virginia law applies to an accidental killing during the commission of a felony, like child neglect. The agreement caps her sentence at the midpoint of the state’s sentencing guidelines — a number that will be determined before her hearing.
Norfolk Circuit Court Judge Jamilah D. LeCruise accepted the plea and found Haskins guilty. She’ll be formally sentenced on February 20, 2026.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said the case is a tragic reminder that adult medications can be extremely dangerous to infants — and that caregivers have a legal and moral duty to protect the children in their care.
“Ms. Haskins did something incredibly dangerous: give antipsychotic medication to a three-month-old baby,” Fatehi said. “Babies are not adults, and they should never be given prescription medication except by a doctor’s order. Anyone who takes responsibility for watching children, especially babies, must do so with care and must face the consequences if they engage in dangerous behavior such as this.”