Brooklyn Park woman sentenced to prison for death of son, 8, who was locked in garage in freezing temperatures

A 39-year-old Brooklyn Park woman has been sentenced to eight years and seven months in prison for the death four years ago of her 8-year-old son, who died after being locked in a garage overnight during the winter.

Tasha Tennin was sentenced in Hennepin County District Court this weekafter pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of Tayvion Davis at the family's home in the 8200 block of N. Queen Avenue.

With credit for time in jail upon her arrest, Tennin is expected to serve around five years and eight months in prison and the balance on supervised release.

The plea deal included dismissal of a more serious charge of first-degree murder while committing child abuse with a past pattern of child abuse, which a grand jury added in August 2020.

On Feb. 1, 2018, Tennin called authorities because her son was unresponsive. First responders found Tayvion on the living room floor, cold to the touch, with no pulse. She told police she tried to wake him for school and carried him to the living room after he didn't respond.

Tayvion was pronounced dead at the scene. The outside temperature was in the negative single digits. A Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office autopsy report noted that Tayvion died while wearing pajama bottoms, a crew-neck shirt, underwear and ankle-length socks.

The autopsy also revealed 17 scars and lesions on his back, indicative of physical abuse. Toxicology tests found a heightened level of glucose, consistent with death from hypothermia, authorities said.

Months later, Tayvion's siblings told their foster parents that the boy got into trouble on Jan. 31, 2018, and was told by Tennin to sit in the garage. Prosecutors said she locked the garage, and the boy was left there overnight.

"Victim's skin was ice-cold," the initial charges read.