Mother charged in death of baby

A St. Louis park woman was charged with a single count of second-degree manslaughter in the death of her five-week-old baby.

Mikaela Devitt, 38, was charged by summons and is scheduled to make her first court appearance March 5. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner determined that the baby died from positional asphyxia.

According to the criminal complaint, Devitt woke up on Dec. 28 and saw that her baby was face down next to her in the bed and was not breathing. She had a housemate call 911. The baby was taken by ambulance to a hospital and died there.

Police officers searched the room and found two prescription bottles, including one for Lorazepam, the complaint states. That prescription was filled the previous day with 10 pills. She was to take one pill every six hours as needed. That bottle was empty. Devitt told a police investigator that she took all 10 pills on Dec. 27 and also drank alcohol.

Criminal complaint against Devitt (PDF)