TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Tallahassee mother and her live-in boyfriend have been charged with aggravated manslaughter for the death of her 1-year-old child who was found unresponsive with heatstroke-like symptoms inside her home.
Tuesday around 1:15 P.M., deputies with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office were called to the 6000 block of Dome Level Road for a one-year-old child and a three-year-old child found unresponsive inside the home by their mother, 26-year-old Brittany Delgado.
When deputies arrived on scene, both children were unconscious and not breathing and both children felt very warm to the touch.
Deputies began life saving measures until the Tallahassee Fire Department and Leon County EMS arrived on scene. Both children were taken to a local hospital.
When they arrived at the hospital, both children had internal temperatures of over 106.5 degrees and were suffering from heatstroke-like symptoms.
Deputies say the 1-year-old died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The three-year-old child is still in critical condition.
Delgado and her boyfriend, Pedro Ramirez-Alvarado were transported to the Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed.
While conducting the investigation, detectives found a space heater in the room where the children had been found. The heater was unplugged but on the “high” setting.
The temperature in the room, about 45 minutes after the children were found and the door was opened, was in the high 80’s.
Deputies say the room where the children were found was dirty and littered with trash and a soiled diaper.
While deputies were on scene, a family member who was there to pick up the mail said “I knew this was going to happen.”
The family member was interviewed by detectives. She said in the past she has found the children outside unsupervised, unclean and seen evidence they had not eaten all day, according to court documents.
A check of previous call history showed that investigators had been to the house on Nov. 3.
They had received reports that a 4 or 5-year-old child was found walking down the road in front of the house without shoes on. While the child was wondering around outside, Delgado was found inside the house sleeping.
Detectives with LCSO’s Special Victim’s Unit were able to develop probable cause for the arrest of Delgado for Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and she was taken to the Leon County Detention Facility.
More charges are anticipated as the investigation continues. Through the investigation, Delgado’s boyfriend was determined to be in the country illegally and was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to court documents, authorities have also charged Ramirez-Alvarado with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect with great bodily harm.
As of Thursday, the couple is being held in jail without bond.
