The Minden Police Department is investigating the death of a 2-year-old girl following an incident that occurred late Thursday morning at a residence on Young Street.
According to Minden Police Chief Jared McIver, the department received a call around 10:45 a.m. reporting an unresponsive child who was not breathing. While officers were en route to the scene, dispatch was informed that the family was transporting the child to the emergency room in a personal vehicle. Efforts to resuscitate the child were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Initial findings from the ongoing investigation reveal that the 2-year-old and a 10-month-old child had been left unattended inside the home, strapped in car seats. Chief McIver stated that early indications suggest the child may have slipped into a slouched position within the car seat, possibly leading to restricted breathing. Investigators believe the car seat may not have been properly secured or used in accordance with safety guidelines.
“It appears the child may have been improperly restrained, and we’re trying to determine why they were in car seats inside the home without adult supervision,” McIver said. “We’re still piecing the puzzle together and waiting on the results of the autopsy to confirm the exact cause of death.”
Authorities have not yet confirmed how long the children were left alone or how many adults reside in the home. “Right now, there’s a lot of finger-pointing, but we do know there were no adults inside the house when this happened,” McIver added.
Detectives are continuing to interview individuals connected to the case. No charges have been filed as of now, but officials indicated that charges are likely, pending the results of the autopsy and further investigation.
“We may know by tomorrow or the next day whether charges will be handed down,” McIver said. “It’s a very difficult situation, and we want to be thorough in our investigation.”
The identity of the child has not been released, and the case remains under active investigation.