Joseph Napier was arrested and charged with manslaughter on Monday for the death of his two-month-old daughter after investigators discovered a baby wipe shoved deep into the child’s throat, according to a press release from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call for an unresponsive two-month-old baby on May 28, 2021. “Our dispatchers immediately began giving CPR instructions to the caller,” while deputies and the fire department were dispatched immediately, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said in the press release. A deputy quickly transported the baby to an ambulance, however, the child passed away.
In the initial investigation, the father reportedly recounted that the infant was left briefly unattended with her 18-month-old sibling, according to police. However, further investigation reportedly revealed inconsistencies, leading to the discovery that Napier was on his cellphone for an extended duration, rendering his account unreliable, according to the press release.
After consulting with medical experts, police believe that the only person who could have placed the wipe so far down the child’s throat was Napier, according to the press release.
“[Napier] put that wipe in that child’s mouth. He pushed it down far enough that this child choked. It took doctors going deep into this child’s throat with forceps [to get it out],” Sheriff Eric Flowers stated, the New York Post reported.
Detectives arrested Napier for manslaughter. He is being held in Indian River County Jail with a $750,000 bond, according to the press release. (RELATED: Police Investigating Missing 11-Year-Old’s Case As Homicide After Parents Arrested For Child Abuse)
“While this investigation involved the tragic loss of life, we are hoping that this arrest can give some closure to the friends and family,” the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office stated, according to the press release.