Day care worker charged after 1-year-old girl dies during first visit, police say
LENOIR, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) - Police arrested a North Carolina day care worker for her alleged role in the death of a 1-year-old girl on her first visit at the facility.
Police charged 29-year-old Alexandra Coffey with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a 1-year-old girl named Maddy at Creative Beginnings of Lenoir, the daycare where Coffey worked, WBTV reports.
Coffey was being held Wednesday at the Caldwell County Detention Center under a $500,000 secured bond.
Police said first responders arrived at the day care around 2:45 p.m. Monday and found Maddy unresponsive. R was started in an attempt to save her life, but she was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to the hospital.
Police suspect the 1-year-old died of cardiac arrest, but an autopsy will be performed to determine her exact cause of death.
Maddy’s mother said in a Tuesday phone call with WBTV that she dropped her daughter off at the day care facility for the very first time on Monday. She received a call later that day telling her Maddy never woke up from an afternoon nap.
Following the toddler’s death, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services suspended the day care‘s license, and it was required to close by the end of the day Wednesday. The suspension decision was “based on the agency’s findings that the public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action,” the order read.
Subsidized childcare payments were also ordered to end on Wednesday, said the state in their letter.
Police previously said that Creative Beginnings was fully cooperating with the investigation into Maddy’s death. The day care posted the following message on social media, expressing grief for the girl:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our sweet little angels at Creative Beginnings of Lenoir. Our hearts are broken, and we’re struggling to find the right words in the face of such sorrow.
Please keep our teachers, staff, and everyone who loved this precious child in your prayers, but especially the family, as they grieve the unimaginable loss of their child.
May God’s peace and comfort be with all who are hurting during this difficult time."
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