Novelist Paul Auster’s son was found dead near drug paraphernalia at his Brooklyn residence, a few days after his arrest in connection with his toddler daughter’s fentanyl overdose.
Daniel Auster’s death seems accidental according to police; the 44-year-old was arrested on Easter Sunday over his daughter Ruby’s death on November 1.
The father had allegedly taken heroin that day and passed out beside the girl who then ingested fentanyl and died from an overdose. His wife was at work, he said.
Daniel admitted that he had injected heroin and fell asleep near Ruby and woke up to find her “blue, lifeless and unresponsive.”
“This case is painfully tragic, and Mr. Auster remains devastated over the loss of his beloved daughter Ruby,” Auster’s lawyer James Godfrey said adding that his client was receiving treatment and trying to stay sober.
“Substance use disorder is an issue that countless families reel from each year, and we caution the public to refrain from making any rush to judgment.”
