Charlotte County, FL — Two caregivers have been arrested after a middle school student overdosed on fentanyl at L.A. Ainger Middle School in Rotonda West, FL, on Tuesday morning.
Deputies with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office responded on March 10, 2026, after receiving reports that a student was not breathing. When deputies arrived, they found the student unresponsive while the school nurse performed CPR.
Based on their training and experience, deputies suspected the student was suffering from a drug overdose and administered Narcan. The medication produced a positive response.
Charlotte County Fire and EMS personnel arrived shortly afterward, took over medical care, and transported the student to a local hospital.
Investigators with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit later determined the student had come into contact with fentanyl that had been brought from home.
Detectives learned that a caregiver, identified as Joshua Lee Sanders, had kept a small container of fentanyl inside the residence. According to investigators, the student found the container on a bathroom sink and placed it inside a backpack before going to school.
Authorities say the student later brought the container into a classroom bathroom and placed a small amount of the substance on a finger before putting it on the tongue. The effects were almost immediate, and the student lost consciousness shortly after returning to class.
During the investigation, detectives also learned Sanders and another caregiver, Courtney Delaney, had previously argued about the presence of the drug inside the home.
Sheriff Bill Prummell said the student is expected to make a full recovery and credited the quick actions of school staff and deputies for saving the child’s life.
Sanders and Delaney were both arrested and charged with three counts of child neglect — one count involving bodily harm and two counts without bodily harm due to other children living in the home.
Delaney’s bond has been set at $25,000, while Sanders’ bond has been set at $450,000.
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