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Pregnant Mom Charged After Palos Hills Overdose Incident

PALOS HILLS (CBS) -- A pregnant mother has been charged with child endangerment, after she and three others passed out from overdoses in Palos Hills earlier this week. One of those people later died.

Jacqueline Stoffey, 25, of 11195 Roberts Road, the pregnant mother of two boys found in the apartment, was charged Thursday with three counts of child endangerment, Deputy Police Chief James Boie said.

Stoffey remained hospitalized Thursday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, he said.

Child-endangerment charges were filed earlier this week against Jacqueline Stoffey's boyfriend, Justin Benoit, 29, and her mother, Debra Peitryzk, 52. The adults shared the Roberts Road apartment, police said.

Police officers came to the apartment in Palos Hills on Monday, 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.

Jacqueline Stoffey's older sister Jean Stoffey, 34, was pronounced dead at Palos Community Hospital at 11:24 p.m. March 28. The cause of death is pending toxicology reports, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Boie said officers found syringes during a search of the apartment, but would not say what else was found.

All four adults have criminal records with charges including drug possession, retail theft, domestic battery and credit card fraud.

Boie said more charges may be filed.

(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)

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