Stevens County Sheriff's Office Investigation Leads to Arrest in Child Overdose Case

A Stevens County drug investigation led to the arrest of a woman accused of exposing her young child to fentanyl earlier this year.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, detectives with the Spokane Valley Police Department and members of the U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force took Briana Smutz into custody on Dec. 3, without incident.

The investigation began with the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office Proactive Narcotic Enforcement Task Force, which developed information on Smutz’s whereabouts the day before the arrest. That intel allowed federal and local officers to coordinate the operation quickly, officials said.

According to law enforcement, Smutz was wanted in Stevens County on multiple felony charges, including Assault of a Child in the Third Degree – Domestic Violence (Position of Trust, Vulnerable Victim), Abandonment of a Dependent Person in the First Degree – Domestic Violence (Position of Trust, Vulnerable Victim) and possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

The charges are related to a case in which authorities alleged a two-year-old child gained access to fentanyl pills belonging to Smutz. The toddler showed signs of overdose, prompting emergency crews to administer Narcan. Officials said the child was transported from Loon Lake by ambulance to a Spokane-area hospital for treatment. According to officials, the child did survive.

Investigators said Smutz left the scene before deputies could interview her regarding the incident.

The case remains under investigation, according to officials.