MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota woman who claimed she tumbled down the stairs while holding a 2-month-old boy in her care has been charged with manslaughter in his death.
According to court documents, 39-year-old Stephanie Monique Walker of Minneapolis was charged with the second-degree felony in the wake of 2-month-old D’Juan Anderson’s death, WCCO reported.
Anderson, who suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain swelling in the Dec. 12 incident, died two days later at a Minneapolis hospital, the TV station reported.
Officers responding to the Dec. 12 call for an unconscious baby spoke with adults present at the Brooklyn Center home and discovered a convoluted child care arrangement that left the infant in Walker’s care briefly.
According to KSTP, a woman interviewed by authorities stated that she was the foster mother of the infant’s mother and had agreed to watch the baby for the weekend. The foster mother told police that Walker agreed to watch the child when she needed to step out of the house, but Walker’s association with neither the foster mother nor the infant’s mother was documented.
The foster mother also stated that she hesitated to leave the baby in Walker’s care because Walker’s severe arthritis limits her ability to stand and move freely, but Walker convinced her she was up to the task, the TV station reported.
According to police, Walker initially denied any knowledge of how the baby was injured. But in an interview following the infant’s death, she admitted to falling while carrying him down the stairs and landing on top of him on the concrete floor covered by linoleum, KSTP reported.
Walker also admitted to not calling for help, even after the child stopped breathing, WCCO reported.
A doctor who examined the child said that the boy’s life could have likely been saved had he received medical attention sooner, the TV station reported.
If convicted, Walker faces as many as 10 years in prison.
Cox Media Group
