Parents in an affluent Southern California community are demanding answers after prosecutors charged a 17-year-old autistic boy with the murder of a four-month-old baby girl who was allegedly thrown to the floor inside a home being used as a daycare.
The teenage suspect, who has not been publicly identified because he is a juvenile, was arraigned Thursday and remains in custody at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in connection with the death of Troy May Elaine Cohn.
The fatal incident unfolded shortly before 11:30 a.m. on June 29 at a residence on Lynoak Drive in Claremont, a wealthy city in Los Angeles County.
According to Claremont police, officers responded to reports of a medical emergency and discovered that the infant had allegedly been thrown to the floor by the teen inside the home.
The baby was rushed to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center before being transferred to Children’s Hospital of Orange County because of the severity of her injuries. Despite doctors’ efforts, she later died.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has since charged the teen with murder.
As the criminal case moves forward, the grieving family has accused the daycare of creating a dangerous environment by allowing the teenager to be around young children.
The child’s mother, Jasmyne Cohn, said she was at work when she received a frantic phone call instructing her to rush to the hospital.
“My child had bruises all over her body. Her head was fractured,” Cohn told KTLA. “I lost my daughter due to the negligence of this daycare.”
The circumstances surrounding why the 17-year-old was inside the daycare remain unclear. The facility is intended for children ages eight and younger, and Troy’s parents believe the teen may have been attending the daycare while under the supervision of its owner.
Cohn said no child should ever have been placed in that situation.
“He should not have been in a daycare with children,” she said. “Not just my child, any child.”
The baby’s grandmother, Andrea Holcomb, questioned how the tragedy could have happened at all.
“She drops her off at daycare and then has to meet at the hospital because the baby has been harmed?” Holcomb told KTLA. “How does that make sense?”
Troy’s father, Anthony Owens, said he still cannot understand why his daughter was killed but wants those responsible held accountable. He and Cohn believe the daycare should be shut down.
Meanwhile, family members have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses and legal costs as they seek justice for the infant.
“Jasmyne’s world was shattered when her four-month-old daughter lost her life in a tragic incident at a daycare facility,” the fundraiser states. “No parent should ever have to face such unimaginable pain and heartbreak.”
The tragedy has stunned Claremont, a city of about 37,000 residents that has historically seen very few homicides.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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