Mousa Hawa & Holly Back, Chester County, Pennsylvania parents charged with the drug overdose death of their 8 year old son, Hunter Hawa who they said was repeatedly told not to touch the parent’s drug stash.
What chance did he have…? The parents of 8-year-old Pennsylvania boy who died from a drug overdose in July 2023, have been charged with murder in connection with his death.
Holly Back, 40, and Mousa Hawa, 41, of Coatesville, Chester County, PA, were on Tuesday charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and other related charges after Hunter Hawa, 8, was exposed to his parent’s ‘drug stash, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The boy’s death comes after the parents stressing the 8 year old was ‘repeatedly’ told not to ‘touch daddy’s medicine,’ 6abc reported.
What chance did the boy have?
Medics were called to the family’s home on Lincoln Highway East in Coatesville on July 26 for reports of a child in cardiac arrest, where they found Hawa performing CPR on the son.
At the scene, investigators say they found a home filled with drug paraphernalia.
‘There was a box of literally hundreds of used heroin baggies that had been kept,’ Chester County District Attorney Chris de Barrena-Sarobe said in a Facebook release. ‘What’s worse, with all the drug use signs around, they completely denied being drug users on the scene, which doesn’t help medical responders treat a child.’
According to investigators, the child had fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs in his system.
Investigators said the parents deliberately left deadly drugs out in the open.
‘Don’t touch daddy’s medicine’
‘When officers took over the CPR, they noticed several crystalline baggies scattered throughout the living room and other medication bottles in a bag on the floor,’ the DA’ release states.
An arrest affidavit stated Hawa saying his son knew not to touch the drugs, calling them ‘daddy’s medicine.’
A review of the parents’ cellphone messages also showed that on July 25, a day before the couple’s 8 year old son overdosed, Back and Howa were discussing using drugs.
When the paraphernalia was discovered, Mousa Hawa went ballistic, screaming at paramedics to get out of his home and seeming ‘more concerned with law enforcement searching his house than going to the hospital’ to accompany his dying son according to the arrest affidavit.
The victim was transported via ambulance to Chester County Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the facility.
Parents solicit funds following their son’s ‘sudden death’
The charges come nearly a year after Hunter died. Investigators said it took time to gather all the evidence, including toxicology results, and discuss the case with experts.
But there’s more.
In the time since their son’s death, Hawa and Back started a GoFundMe page soliciting donations in their son’s name.
The page stated that their son ‘passed suddenly’ and ‘we loved him with all our hearts.’ The fundraiser which is still active has raised roughly $895 with a goal of $2,500.
Of note, the fundraiser states that Hunter ‘died suddenly,’ without revealing the manner and cause surrounding the boy’s death.
‘This is just clearly not the case where I think these parents deserve a dollar from anybody, considering what they did to the child,’ said de Barrena-Sarobe.
According to the affidavit, throughout Hunter’s short life, there were red flags. Doctors reportedly expressed concern about the 8 year old’s poor vision and language delay.
He was also in and out of the hospital for injuries that staff suspected were signs of abuse.
Hair samples also show that the child had been exposed to drugs in the past.
Back is being held in jail on a $1 million bond. Hawa was already housed in the Chester County prison on other drug charges.
