Kyler W. Lawrence was a passenger in a vehicle stopped because it had no license plate, according to deputies. They said they saw drugs near him and questioned him outside the vehicle. Lawrence allegedly gave deputies a false name before they confirmed his identity and found he was wanted in Pierce County.

Lawrence was charged with first-degree manslaughter. Pierce County deputies came to the scene, and he was taken to a Pierce County jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

His son, Brentlee Lawrence, died of a fentanyl overdose in Tacoma on March 13, 2025. Investigators said the child’s mother, Jordan Shank, told deputies she had fallen asleep beside him and awoke to find him vomiting and not breathing. Shank was also arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter.

Investigators said they found drug paraphernalia throughout the home, which they described as being in deplorable condition, including no running water and dog waste in the child’s room. A felony warrant for Lawrence was issued Oct. 13, 2026, after he left before law enforcement arrived, according to the account of the investigation.

Another passenger in the vehicle stopped near Yelm was arrested on outstanding Yelm Police Department warrants. Deputies also found an unpermitted loaded firearm on her, the sheriff’s office said. The driver, whose license was suspended, had the vehicle impounded.