A two-year-old child was in critical condition after ingesting cocaine, prompting a swift response from emergency personnel who found the toddler struggling to breathe. Authorities in the United States arrested a 39-year-old man named Alexander T. Moles on charges of child endangerment following an incident on July 20 involving the sick toddler. Moles had been driving the child to the emergency room due to breathing difficulties when first responders intervened. Paramedics administered two doses of Naloxone nasal spray, also known as NARCAN, which successfully revived the child. NARCAN is effective in reversing opioid effects only if opioids are present in the system.
The child was taken to Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional for further medical evaluation, where subsequent blood tests confirmed the presence of cocaine in the toddler’s system. A search of Moles’s Airbnb residence, authorized by a judge, led police to discover a pill, tinfoil packets labeled “tapentadol hydrochloride,” a plastic bag containing a white powdery substance, and multiple plastic straws.
A joint investigation by the Wildwood Police Department and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit was launched following the incident. Prosecutors stated that Moles was vacationing in Wildwood, New Jersey when the child fell ill.
On July 21, 2026, Moles was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of Prescription Legend Drugs. The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office warned that convictions for these offenses carry significant prison sentences in New Jersey. Moles was detained at the Cape May County Correctional Facility but was released on bail with conditions three days later.
