Parents accused of falling asleep drunk on their baby and suffocating her

• Parents accused of suffocating their baby.
• They fell asleep on the 6-month-old baby.
• What will happen to them?

An unusual incident tragically claimed the life of a six-month-old baby.

After her parents fell asleep on top of her on a sofa, accidentally suffocating her.

Allegedly, both had consumed alcohol and smoked marijuana, as disclosed by a Michigan court.

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Parents suffocate their baby

José Roldán Jr., 40, and his wife, Ladesha Ann Powe, 29, had no prior record of mistreatment towards any of their children.

This was according to police investigations, but on a night of alleged excesses, they lost their youngest daughter.

The Michigan couple has been behind bars since April 2nd and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse.

They lost custody of their other children and could face a minimum sentence of 15 years each, according to the prosecution before the Eighth District Court of Kalamazoo.

Fatal accident or irresponsibility?

According to court documents, the baby’s death occurred in the living room of their home.

Her father found her lifeless body when he woke up at 8:00 in the morning on December 13, 2023. He called emergency services, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

A security camera in the living room of the residence is said to have recorded the baby’s final minutes and her distress as she struggled to breathe.

The footage is not yet public, but it has sparked outrage among those who have viewed it.

The baby was 6 months old

«It’s heart-wrenching,» said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting. «I’ve seen it, and it’s not something anyone should see. It’s horrific,» he commented.

The recording depicts Roldán and Powe falling asleep, she at his feet with the baby in her arms, write the agents to describe what happened in their report.

Eventually, the investigators specify, the baby fell from her mother’s arms and landed between her father’s body, who weighs around 300 pounds, and the couch.

The baby is seen kicking and crying for a few minutes before ceasing movement.

A heartbreaking end for the girl

The forensic pathologist determined the baby’s cause of death to be mechanical asphyxia and classified the manner of her death as a homicide.

During interrogations, the mother allegedly admitted that she was «very exhausted, maybe drunk, very, very drunk,» when she fell asleep with her daughter in her arms, as stated in her arrest warrant.

Meanwhile, the baby’s father told detectives that he had consumed between nine or 10 beers that night, each approximately 25 ounces, according to the official report.

«It’s something that should never have happened,» the prosecutor stated.

Behind bars

«Both were in a position where they were responsible for the care of this young child,» said the Prosecutor.

He continued, «They failed in that regard in an extremely negligent manner.»

It is expected that both defendants will return to court before the end of April.

The couple will remain in the kalamazoo county jail until they post the $100,000 bail imposed by the court on each of them.