The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office has charged two ladies in relation to the death of an infant in Avon Park.
Sabrina Denise Watson, 28, the mother of the baby, and Gwendolyn L. Wyche, 49, the cousin of Watson and the legal guardian of the kid, were accused after the girl’s death on May 4.
Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Lake Avenue in response to an unresponsive baby.
As a result of Watson’s history of drug abuse, the infant, along with one of her two-year-old brothers, was taken away from her and placed under the care of Wyche. Watson’s parents were given custody of another sibling, who is 4 years old. A court ruling stipulated that Watson was prohibited from having the children reside with them and only permitted supervised visitations.
The investigation uncovered that on the evening of May 3, Wyche entrusted Watson with the care of the infant and the 2-year-old while she attended to her own children’s skating activities. According to deputies, Wyche made a promise to return and collect the children but failed to fulfill it.
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According to the sheriff’s office, at some point throughout the night, Watson had left the children unattended in the house and had consumed drugs. In addition, they characterized the condition of the home as extremely unclean, with windows obstructed by wood and cardboard, exposed electrical plugs, and a lack of running water.
According to investigators, Watson unintentionally suffocated the baby while sleeping on a mattress with both the infant and toddler.
According to officials, a medical examiner concluded that the child’s death was caused by a “accidental overlay.”
Watson faced charges of negligent manslaughter of a child, two counts of child negligence, and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Wyche was accused of child neglect as reported by WFLA News.
Angeline and William Watson, the parents of Watson, were accused of child negligence when they left their 4-year-old child with Sabrina, which was a violation of the court order.