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Daniel Auster, a New York-based father, has been charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, after his infant daughter passed away from acute exposure to heroin and fentanyl, as per the police.
The 44-year-old man was arrested on the night of April 15, in connection with the death of his 10-month-old daughter Ruby in November 2021.
Ruby was discovered lifeless on November 1, 2021, after Auster fell asleep while watching her in a Brooklyn residence while her mother was at work, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
According to unnamed sources, he performed CPR on Ruby and dialed 911 as soon as he awakened. However, the infant was unable to be revived at a local hospital.
According to the NYPD, an autopsy revealed no evidence of physical or internal injury, but a toxicology result revealed an overdose from fentanyl and heroin exposure. It's unknown how the toddler came into contact with the narcotics, according to police.
In a statement, the NYPD authorities said:
“The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has deemed the cause of death to be acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl and heroin. The incident has been deemed a homicide after conferral with the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. The following individual has been arrested and charged in regard.”
Daniel Auster, who has worked as a DJ and photographer, is the son of Paul Auster, one of New York's best-known authors, with credits for The New York Trilogy, Moon Palace, and Leviathan under his belt.
The protagonist of his 2003 novel Oracle Night is a writer whose child is a heroin addict.
Daniel Auster has had trouble with the law in the past
According to The New Yorker, Daniel attended clubs in New York City throughout his youth and became extensively engaged with drugs.
In 1996, when Daniel was 18 years old, he was present in the apartment when drug dealer Andre 'Angel' Melendez was famously murdered by Michael Alig, a former nightclub promoter, and his roommate, Robert Riggs. As compensation for his silence, Daniel received $3,000 from Melendez.
After pledging guilty to possession of stolen property, he was sentenced to five years probation. Additionally, he was arrested on several drug possession charges in 2008 and 2010. In 2009, he was charged with possession of stolen property and petit larceny.
