Man charged with murder in toddler’s 2022 overdose death refuses to appear in court, bond set at $1M

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A man accused in the 2022 overdose death of an 18-month-old child was scheduled to face a judge Thursday but refused to appear from the Fayette County Detention Center.

Ka’Darrius Warren is charged with murder in connection with the child’s death, according to court records.

During Thursday’s court appearance, a judge set Warren’s bond at $1 million full cash. The case was continued, with Warren now scheduled to return to court for an arraignment next Friday, February 13.

Court documents outline the investigation that led to the murder charge. According to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant, Lexington police were called to a home on Charles Avenue in August 2022 for a report of an unresponsive toddler. The child was taken to the hospital and later died there.

An autopsy later found the child had lethal levels of fentanyl and acetylfentanyl in his system, and the death was ruled an overdose.

Investigators say evidence, including phone records and witness statements, placed Warren at the home in the hours leading up to the child’s death and connected him to people involved in drug trafficking. The documents allege narcotics were used in the room where the child was present, ultimately leading to the fatal overdose.

Warren was arrested earlier this month on a warrant charging him with murder. The case remains under investigation.