Minneapolis woman failed to call 911 right away for baby, manslaughter charges say

A 39-year-old woman failed to call 911 or immediately alert anyone in the crucial moments after she fell on a baby in a Brooklyn Center home and inflicted head injuries that proved fatal days later, according to prosecutors.

Stephanie M. Walker of Minneapolis was charged Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree manslaughter in connection with injuring a 13-week-old boy as she held the child while going down a flight of stairs Dec. 12 in the 6300 block of N. Orchard Avenue.

D'Juan Duprea Lee Anderson Jr. died Dec. 14 from skull fractures and severe brain swelling, the felony complaint said.

Walker remains jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail before a court appearance Wednesday afternoon. Court records do not show an attorney for her.

Prosecutors noted that because of the delay in alerting authorities, doctors missed out on a better opportunity to treat D'Juan's severe head injuries.

According to police and the criminal complaint:

D'Juan was being watched for the weekend by a woman who said she was the foster mother to the child's mother. Three adults were in the home at the time, and police described them as extended family members.

Shortly after 7 p.m. on Dec. 12, the foster mother wanted to go to the store and gave in to Walker's pleas to take over watching D'Juan despite concerns about Walker's difficulty walking and standing because of severe arthritis.

The investigation found that anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes passed between when Walker fell on the baby and the child stopped breathing.

Calls from the home alerted police, who provided lifesaving measures before the baby was taken by emergency medical responders to a hospital. Walker told the officers she didn't know how D'Juan was injured.

After the boy died two days later, Walker told police she picked up D'Juan and headed downstairs to check on her son even though "she would not normally hold a baby while standing due to the issues with her legs," the complaint read.

Walker said she fell while going down the stairs and landed on top of D'Juan on a concrete floor covered by linoleum. She admitted not seeking help for the child from anyone else in the home or calling 911, "even after the [baby] stopped breathing," the complaint continued.

A child-abuse pediatrician said that had D'Juan received prompt attention, doctors could have had a better chance at treating his injuries.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482