Texas dentist arrested after girl, 4, dies from toxic opioid dose

A Texas dentist was arrested after investigators found that a 4-year-old girl died from a toxic dose of opioids following what was supposed to be routine dental surgery; authorities claimed that the child’s illness was not noticed until it was too late.

48 year old Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill was arrested Wednesday and charged with recklessly causing serious bodily injury to a child, a second-degree felony, after investigators alleged her actions during dental surgery on April 1 resulted in the death of Aithana Rodríguez-Arriaga, 4.

Police said months of interviews with witnesses, medical experts and state dental examiners led to his recent arrest.

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Jail records reviewed by Fox News Digital show Hemphill was booked into jail Wednesday afternoon before being released on a $10,000 bond.

According to the Fort Worth Police Department, firefighters responded to Cuddle Kids Dental after staff reported the 4-year-old became unresponsive following the procedure. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

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“The Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) has initiated an investigation into this case,” police said in a statement to Fox News Digital. he said. “As a result of their findings, the inspectors determined that a crime was committed and that the doctor who performed the procedure on the victim was responsible.”

According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, Aithana’s mother told investigators she felt rushed to sign paperwork before the procedure and watched as Hemphill gave her daughter a cup containing liquid medication and encouraged her to drink it before being taken to the treatment room.

Aithana’s mother said she was not allowed to stay with her daughter during the procedure.

When she was brought back to the room about an hour later, Hemphill found her daughter unresponsive as she tried to wake her with a popsicle, according to investigators. Emergency teams were then called.

The tragic incident prompted police to urge parents to defend their children during medical procedures.

“It’s the last thing you would expect as a parent,” Fort Worth Police Department spokesman Brad Perez said. he told affiliate FOX 4 Dallas.

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A smiling Aithana Rodríguez-Arriaga holds purple flowers toward the camera in a family photo. (GoFundMe)

“The only thing I would suggest is that if you want to be there when your child is having surgery, insist on it,” Perez said in his statement to the press. “I think this mother wanted to check on her child but was unable to do so because the procedure was taking place. Perhaps the mother saw signs that the doctor did not see at the time.”

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled Aithana’s death an accident caused by meperidine poisoning, according to records obtained by Fox News Digital.

The arrest affidavit alleges that the 4-year-old boy had 793 ng/mL of meperidine in his system; At this level, researchers say, medical experts believe it could be toxic even to an adult.

As detectives investigated the case further, they consulted with the Texas State Board of Dentists, reviewed the board’s investigation, and sought input from outside medical experts.

School portrait of 4-year-old Aithana Rodríguez-Arriaga, who died following dental surgery in Fort Worth. (GoFundMe)

According to testimony, Aithana received chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and meperidine in addition to nitrous oxide gas. Although each drug individually fell within recommended limits, researchers claim Hemphill failed to account for the potent combined effect of the drugs.

Police also alleged Hemphill failed to recognize signs that Aithana was going into respiratory distress and administered flumazenil, which reverses benzodiazepines, instead of naloxone (Narcan), the drug used against opioid overdoses.

The affidavit states the girl had no benzodiazepines in her system.

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MIR remains a prototype; The researchers plan to add sensors and a camera before testing it in real dental settings. (University of Basel, Catherine Weyer)

Investigators also cited the findings of a board-certified anesthesiologist who concluded that Aithana was not properly monitored during the critical recovery period after sedation and that emergency intervention failed to relieve opioid-induced respiratory depression.

Perez told FOX 4 Hemphill had no prior disciplinary action and his dental license was active with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners at the time of his arrest.

The investigation revealed additional concerns at the dentist’s office. Investigators also found syringes containing leftover medications that staff allegedly intended to save for future patients, as well as confusion about where emergency Narcan was kept, according to court documents.

Exterior of Cuddle Kids Dental in Fort Worth, Texas, where a 4-year-old girl died following dental surgery. (Google Maps)

“Throughout this investigation, I learned from Hemphill’s own statements, the statements of his employees, and medical experts that there was apparent negligence on Hemphill’s part that led to Aithana’s death,” a detective wrote in an arrest affidavit.

For Aithana’s family, the arrest comes more than three months after they lost what the GoFundMe described as “a beautiful 4-year-old girl, full of life and kindness” whose “presence always lit up a room.”

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“She was sweet, loving, and touched the lives of everyone who knew her,” the fundraiser says.

He adds that donations will help cover funeral expenses, support his grieving parents and bring Aithana home to Mexico for her funeral.

He is survived by his parents, an older sister and a younger sister.

The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital that Fort Worth police filed the case on Wednesday and prosecutors are currently reviewing the case.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Hemphill’s attorney and the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners for comment.