This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/oxon-hill-day-care-provider-charged-with-murder-in-baby-girls-death/2016/04/08/ae0f1afa-fda2-11e5-886f-a037dba38301_story.html

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Oxon Hill day-care provider charged with murder in baby girl’s death Oxon Hill day-care provider charged with murder in baby girl’s death
(about 3 hours later)
A day-care provider has been arrested and charged in the December death of a baby girl who was left in her care in Prince George’s County, authorities said. A day-care provider has been charged with first-degree murder in the December death of a baby girl who was left in her care in Prince George’s County, authorities said.
Police said the incident happened around 7 a.m. on Dec. 2, when the mother of the 9-month-old baby dropped the child off at the home of Beatrice Manning, 43, a day-care provider in Oxon Hill. According to police, at about 7 a.m. on Dec. 2, the mother of 9-month-old Savannah Kai Wright dropped the baby off at the home of Beatrice Manning, 43, an unlicensed day-care provider in Oxon Hill.
Around 11 a.m., police said, Manning called 911 and said the baby — Savannah Wright — was “lethargic and had become unresponsive.” The child was taken to Children’s National Medical Center and was found to be suffering from a brain injury, authorities said. She was put on life support and died two days later on Dec. 4. Around 11 a.m., police said, Manning called 911 and said the baby was “lethargic and had become unresponsive.” The baby was taken to Children’s National Medical Center and was found to be bleeding from the brain, authorities said. She was put on life support and died two days later on Dec. 4.
The District’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt force injury to the head, according to officials. The medical examiner also said the manner of death was a homicide.The District’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death was blunt force injury to the head, according to officials. The medical examiner also said the manner of death was a homicide.
Authorities said the autopsy results and an investigation found that the baby’s injuries occurred while she was in Manning’s care.Authorities said the autopsy results and an investigation found that the baby’s injuries occurred while she was in Manning’s care.
Police said Manning was arrested Tuesday. She is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and assault. She is being held without bond. Savannah’s mother, Qiana Wright, said Friday that she used to teach at a Prince George’s County school, which is where she first met Manning, whose own children were in her class. Wright, who is 37 and lives in Temple Hills, said she knew then that Manning had a day-care center in her home.
Wright said she knew of no problems and heard no other complaints from the parents of other children in Manning’s care. She said Manning looked after at least four other children, some younger, some older, than her daughter.
But state officials said Friday that Manning did not have the necessary license to run a day care in her home. Maryland requires that all child-care providers who are not relatives have a license to operate from the Office of Child Care, which is under the state’s Department of Education.
Bill Reinhard, a spokesman for Maryland’s Department of Education, said Manning had never been investigated. “We had no knowledge she was operating,”he said.
Wright said she was at work when she got a call from Manning on Dec. 2 saying that her daughter had been injured. On Friday, she said she did not recall the actual conversation, saying, “I’m trying to block it out.”
Wright said she still works in the county school system and that her husband, Julius, is a construction worker. Savannah was Wright’s fourth child – the others are ages 19, 12 and 9.
“She liked everything,” Wright said of Savannah. “If you could have a perfect baby, it would be her. She never cried. She smiled at everything. She was happy from the time she woke up until the time she went to sleep. Everything about her was pure joy.”
In a March post on Facebook, Wright wrote, “Hi Savannah...mommy misses you baby girl” with a photo of the bright-eyed child.
Investigators said Manning waived her right to a lawyer. She told officials that the baby had come to her home “healthy and in normal condition.” But she said the baby started to vomit around 10:30 a.m. and stopped breathing, according to police and court records. Manning told authorities she called 911 and performed CPR until an ambulance arrived.
In their investigation, police said, doctors at Children’s determined that the baby “would have sustained her injuries approximately 45 minutes prior to [Manning] calling 911,” according to charging documents filed in court.
Police said Manning was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder, child abuse and assault.
Officials with the state said that Manning had four children in her care at the time, according to Reinhard. Manning’s day-care operation was given a “cease and desist letter” on Dec. 3.
At a review hearing Friday in District Court, a judge set bail for Manning at $250,000. Court records show Manning posted a $25,000 property bond, the 10 percent required, and was released.
She has a court hearing scheduled for May 2.
Eddy Palanzo contributed to this report.