The adult son of author Paul Auster was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and endangering the welfare of a child on Sunday in the drug overdose death of his infant daughter in Brooklyn on Nov. 1, 2021.
Daniel Auster, 44, was arrested on Friday, according to CBS News, and has been ordered to return for a court hearing on Thursday, per The New York Times. His bail was set at 100,000 cash or $250,000 bond.
Auster's 10-month-old daughter, Ruby, died of "acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl and heroin," according to a criminal complaint filed by the Kings County District Attorney's Office in New York, per NBC News.
She was found unconscious and was rushed to the New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Auster told police that he had injected himself with heroin after his wife left for work, and laid down to nap with his daughter. When he woke up, he saw she was "blue, lifeless, and unresponsive," according to the complaint.
He tried to bring her back to life by administering Narcan before calling 911, but it was too late.
John Godfrey, a lawyer for Legal Aid Society, which defended Auster at his arraignment, said that Auster turned himself into police and had been recently sober and working in landscaping.
"This case is painfully tragic, and Mr. Auster remains devastated over the loss of his beloved daughter Ruby," Godfrey said, per The New York Times. "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 and to respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time."
Auster's father, Paul Auster, is the best-selling author of "The New York Trilogy," "Moon Palace," "The City of Glass," and "4 3 2 1," among many other novels.
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