Charges Filed in Connection with Deaths of Two Infants

Prosecutors in Santa Clara County have announced that a drug dealer is facing murder charges linked to the fentanyl-related deaths of two babies earlier this year.

On Friday, the District Attorney’s Office, led by Jeff Rosen, revealed that 33-year-old Philip Ortega was charged with murder in connection with the death of an infant referred to as “Baby Phoenix,” who passed away in May 2023. Additionally, Ortega was charged in August 2023 regarding another infant, “Baby Winter,” whose overdose also resulted in his indictment.

Baby Phoenix’s father, 40-year-old David Anthony Castro, is also facing murder charges, as he previously posed a danger to his child, according to prosecutors.

Rosen expressed deep sadness over the loss, stating, “The senseless deaths of these two little girls have shattered our hearts, yet they strengthen our determination to hold those responsible for such recklessness accountable.” He noted the troubling fact that Ortega allegedly supplied the lethal drugs that contributed to the deaths of both infants during such close intervals.

Reports indicate that Baby Phoenix was discovered dead on May 13, 2023, in an apartment filled with drug paraphernalia. An autopsy later confirmed that she had died from toxic amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Evidence presented by Rosen’s office suggested that Castro had attempted to locate Ortega the night before Baby Phoenix’s death, with Ortiz allegedly providing drugs to him. Further allegations claim that Castro delayed seeking medical help as he sought synthetic urine from a smoke store to obscure drug usage.

Notably, Baby Phoenix’s mother also succumbed to an overdose months later, as she was absent during the incident.

In a separate case, Ortega is among four individuals implicated in Baby Winter’s death on August 12, 2023. Reports indicate that Winter’s parents waited more than 12 hours to contact emergency services after realizing their daughter had died.

According to the report, Winter’s parents, Derek Vaughan Raio and Kelly Jane Richardson, are the first within Santa Clara County to face murder charges due to the overdose of their own child.

If convicted, both Ortega and Castro could be sentenced to life in prison.