A woman has been convicted of manslaughter for failing to call 911 or alert anyone in the crucial moments after she fell on a baby in a Brooklyn Center home and inflicted fatal head injuries.
Woman guilty of manslaughter in fall on baby in Brooklyn Center home
A pediatrician said that had the baby received prompt attention, doctors could have had a better chance at treating his injuries.
January 18, 2023 at 3:35PM
Stephanie M. Walker, 41, of Minneapolis, was found guilty last week in a bench trial in Hennepin County District Court of second-degree manslaughter in connection with injuring a 13-week-old boy as she held the child while going down a flight of stairs on Dec. 12, 2020, in the 6300 block of N. Orchard Avenue.
D'Juan Duprea Lee Anderson Jr. died two days later from skull fractures and severe brain swelling, the criminal complaint read.
Walker remains jailed in lieu of $150,000 bail ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for March 13.
A child abuse pediatrician said that had D'Juan received prompt attention, doctors could have had a better chance at treating his injuries, the complaint said.
According to police and the complaint:
D'Juan was being watched for the weekend by a woman who said she was the foster mother to the child's mother. The foster mother wanted to go to the store and gave in to Walker's pleas to watch D'Juan despite concerns about Walker's difficulty walking and standing because of severe arthritis. Other adults were in the home at the time, and police described them as extended family members.
Calls from the home alerted police to the child being hurt. Officers provided lifesaving measures before the baby was taken by emergency medical responders to a hospital. Walker initially told the officers she didn't know how D'Juan was injured.
The investigation found that anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes passed between when Walker fell on the baby and the child stopped breathing.
After the boy died two days later, Walker told police she picked up D'Juan and headed downstairs 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 going down the stairs and landed on top of D'Juan. 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.
The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.
