A mother in Indiana, who is also a licensed daycare operator, has been accused of fatally neglecting her newborn son after she allegedly left the baby to sleep on an adult bed with his 6-year-old sibling.
Brooklyn Davis was arrested and charged with three counts of neglect of a dependent in connection with the September 2024 death of her son.
Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department reported to the Community East Hospital on September 19, 2024, after the infant was brought in from the family’s home while unresponsive, according to a probable cause affidavit viewed by WXIN.
The victim was in cardiac arrest when he arrived at the hospital and “never regained a pulse,” according to a Department of Child Services report that was cited in the probable cause affidavit. He was ultimately pronounced dead at 3:07 a.m.
An investigation was launched into the child’s death and it was determined that he had been sleeping in Davis’ bed alongside his older sibling, with authorities describing the situation as an improper cosleeping arrangement.
The affidavit stated that Davis, 27, showed investigators a video of the baby sleeping face down on his older sibling’s chest, WKRC reported. It wasn’t until later that the child was found unresponsive “in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
The child’s cause of death was determined to be a “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, according to the autopsy. The autopsy cited that the baby had been “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items.”
Investigators believe that Davis attempted to perform CPR after she found the baby unresponsive and before she took him to the hospital.
Davis was previously involved with the Department of Child Services and signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan” in July 2024, which acknowledged that infants should sleep in a crib, bassinet or play yard, according to court documents.
The plan also stated that cosleeping increases the risk of suffocation, as well as stipulated that Davis was not allowed to use marijuana while caring for her children. However, she told investigators that she smoked marijuana hours before she found her son unconscious.
Additionally, the affidavit stated that authorities learned Davis operated a state-licensed daycare and reportedly had “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
Authorities spoke with other children in the home, who allegedly said that the baby frequently coslept with other children.
“Due to Brooklyn [Davis’] actions and disregarding the safety plan and her training, DCS removed her two remaining children from her home,” the affidavit stated.
Investigators attempted to follow up with Davis several times after her initial interview, and she reportedly called officials on February 18, 2025, to say she “didn’t do anything wrong” and claimed the “baby died of SIDS.”
The case against Davis was formally filed in March and she was booked into jail on April 1. Davis appeared in court for an initial hearing on April 7 and a bail review hearing was scheduled for Monday, April 20.
It is not currently clear if Davis has entered a plea or retained legal counsel. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
