Arrest Made After Infant Passes Away from Probable Positional Asphyxia

Investigators say the infant was strapped in a car seat for approximately 13 hours.

Raeleigh Phillips. Photo by the Dearborn County Sheriff's Office.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – An arrest has been made following the death of an infant.

Raeleigh Phillips was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death (Level 1 Felony) and Reckless Homicide (Level 5 Felony)

Lawrenceburg Police responded to an apartment on Bellaire Drive early Sunday morning for a report of an unconscious infant.

The infant was treated and transported to St. Elizabeth Dearborn where the infant was pronounced deceased.

A death investigation revealed that the infant had been deceased for an extended period of time prior to arrival of first responders. According to a news release from Prosecutor Lynn Deddens, the infant had been in the care of Phillips, who allegedly left the infant strapped in a car seat for approximately 13 hours.

Phillips claimed she had fallen asleep and then found her infant son slouched in the car seat.

Further investigation revealed that the infant had not been fed in approximately 14 hours and the infant was wearing a soiled diaper.

An autopsy showed the probable cause of death was positional asphyxia, which occurs when someone’s position prevents the person from breathing adequately.

Phillips had her initial hearing in court on Wednesday where bond was set in the amount of $200,000 surety in addition to $7,500 cash.