4 Pass Out From Overdoses In Palos Hills; 1 Dies

Updated 03/29/11 - 3:04 p.m.

PALOS HILLS, Ill. (CBS) -- Two people have been charged with child endangerment, after police found two small children in a Palos Hills apartment where four people had passed out, apparently from drug overdoses.

One of the adults was later pronounced dead.

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Palos Hills Deputy police Chief James Boie says officers came to the apartment in the 11100 block of Roberts Road in Palos Hills, after a woman called 911. The woman had received a call from a 6-year-old child at the apartment, who had talked about being hungry and not having eaten dinner, Boie said.

The woman had come to the apartment and found the 6-year-old and a 5-year-old child, and three men and a woman who were all unconscious.

The Palos Hills Fire Department arrived at 10:43 p.m. Monday, after the report of possible heroin overdoses. The adults were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights.

One of the adults, Jean Stoffey, 34, was pronounced dead at Palos Community Hospital. Another, Jacqueline Stoffey, 25, was placed in the intensive care unit at Advocate Christ.

The other two adults, a 29-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman, later regained consciousness and were arrested, Boie said.

Justin Benoit, 29, and Deborah Pietrzyk, 52, were charged with endangering the life of a child, Boie said.

Everyone found in the apartment is related, Boie said.

The children were taken to the Palos Hills police station, where they were awaiting staff from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Boie said.

It's unclear how Stoffey died or why all the adults were passed out, Boie said. An autopsy Tuesday for Stoffey was inconclusive, pending the results of toxicology tests, according to the medical examiner's office. Boie would not speculate as to the cause of death.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is also investigating.