Baby boy dies of asphyxiation at unlicensed Bloomington daycare, woman charged with manslaughter
BLOOMINGTON — A woman who ran an unlicensed daycare in Bloomington faces manslaughter charges after a baby boy in her care died by asphyxiation in November.
Charging documents say police arrived to the unlicensed in-home daycare on Nov. 28, 2023, where they found a 1-year-old boy who was not breathing.
The woman who ran the daycare said she had given the boy lunch, and knew he tended to pack food in his mouth. After he ate, the boy was laying on a mat, and the woman said she saw his lips turn blue, charges state.
According to court documents, the woman then performed a "finger sweep" and pulled some of the food out, but noticed she was pushing additional food down his throat, so she stopped. After she did the sweep, the boy's eyes opened and some color returned to his lips.
The woman then said she walked away; charges say she did not call the boy's parents or 911.
When she came back later, she noticed the boy was not moving and his lips had turned blue again. Documents say that's when she called 911.
The boy died at the hospital. The medical examiner said the cause of death was asphyxiation caused by food blocking his airways.
The second-degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
