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An Altamonte Springs, Florida teen is facing a manslaughter charge for allegedly suffocating her 3-year-old sister with a pillow on July 15.
WCJB reported that the unidentified 16-year-old teen was babysitting the toddler as their mother remotely worked from the bedroom of a MainStay extended stay hotel near Cranes Roost where the family resided. The girls were in the bedroom. The mother gave the older girl the responsibility of keeping “her sister quiet” as she took calls for work.
“Police say the teenager put a pillow over the toddler’s head.”
Altamonte Springs police revealed in a report that the working mother found the 3-year-old unresponsive after the 16-year-old carried the sister’s body to the living room. The mother, unsuccessfully, attempted CPR. The toddler was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The 16-year-old had allegedly “placed a pillow over her sister to quiet her down.”
Fox 29 released the audio from the frantic 9-1-1 call from the incident.
“DISPATCHER: Is she breathing?
CALLER: She’s unconscious. I don’t know. She’s not breathing.
DISPATCHER: How is the baby?
CALLER: No, she’s not responsive; her lips are turning blue!”
Police arrested the teen.
Officer Michelle Montalvo, appearing emotional on camera, stated, “It’s very tragic. It’s a 3-year-old, a very young, young child. The 16-year-old was also young. The mother loses both of her daughters in one night because the 16-year-old was arrested that night.”
Montalvo told the news that the situation was tragic, but to avoid the situation, people have to rely on their “village” to help.