By Jerald Jimenez
Aug 28, 2023, 19:30 PM EDT
A Florida father has been arrested for the alleged manslaughter of his 2-month-old daughter, who allegedly choked to death on a baby wipe, authorities said.
The subject identified as Joseph Napier was recently charged with manslaughter in the death of his baby on May 28, 2021. The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Napier about an unresponsive baby.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that the baby was “turning blue” and unresponsive, later dying, despite efforts by first responders to save her life.
Naiper reportedly told police that she only left the baby unattended for 10 minutes before she suffocated on the wipe.
“Mr. Napier told deputies that the baby choked and he could only see a small white object in the back of her mouth,” the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook statement. “He then gave a timeline of events and claimed that he left the boy unsupervised, on a sofa, with his 18-month-old daughter for approximately 10 minutes.”
The suspect added that he saw his daughter suffocate and waited five minutes before calling 911. Police later determined that Napier spent about half an hour on his cell phone, causing his recollection of those moments to become inaccurate.
Likewise, the investigators pointed out that the girl choked on the wipe when it was lodged in her throat. They determined that only her father could have put it there.
“Based on all the evidence gathered, and in consultation with physicians, it was determined that the only person present at the time of the incident who could have placed the wipe so deeply down the child’s throat was Joseph Napier,” the DA’s office explained. sheriff.
The suspect was booked into the Indian River County Jail, and his bond was set at $750,000.
“While this investigation involved the tragic loss of life, we hope this arrest may provide some closure to friends and family,” the office said.
With information from Fox News