Parents of deceased baby dropped off at hospital identified, charged with involuntary manslaughter
(WJBK) - The parents who dropped a deceased baby off at St. John’s Hospital on Thursday morning have been identified and charged.
Lorenzo Brooks, 30, and Leticia Molton, 38, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and second degree child abuse in the death of their 11-month-old son.
Sources close to the investigation say the boy's parents may have been drinking the night before and the father may have rolled on top of the baby as they slept.
We were told the baby was dead on arrival at the hospital, and that the baby was given to hospital staff.
Doctors say there were no visible signs of trauma to the child.
The parents will be arraigned at 11 a.m. Saturday in 34th District Court in Romulus.
"There are babies in this county dying that should not be dying,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “Unsafe sleep practices can be just as fatal to a baby as a gun or knife. The alleged actions of both parents in this case are criminal - they knew their alleged actions could result in the death of their child."
The Wayne County Medical Examiner has completed the child’s autopsy but has not been formally identified, they cannot release his name.
No cause of death has been determined yet.
FOX 2 spoke with a family member who says this isn’t the first child these parents have lost. Alex Exum says the couple lost another child recently -- a 6-month-old daughter.
"It's the second baby and they died five days apart," she said.
She said the other child died at the age of 6 months last year on September 20.
“My little cousin LJ is dead,” Exum said.