SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A 16-year-old girl was arrested on manslaughter charges in the death of her 3-year-old sister, who was found unresponsive Friday at an extended stay hotel in Altamonte Springs while their mother worked in an adjoining bedroom, according to police.
Altamonte Springs police said officers were called to MainStay Suites on Raymond Avenue for an “unresponsive juvenile.” The 3-year-old was then taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
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The girls’ mother told police that she works from home, and a police report stated that the teen daughter was responsible for watching her sister from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. while their mom worked.
According to the police report, the teen said her sister was being very loud and her mother told her to keep her sister quiet since she was working and on the phone. The mother said she noticed that the younger sibling quieted down for about 10 minutes when her teenaged daughter suddenly walked into the bedroom while carrying her unresponsive sister, according to the report.
Police said a preliminary investigation shows that the teen had placed a pillow over her sister to quiet her down.
“She’s not breathing. She’s unresponsive. Her lips are turning blue,” a caller told a 911 dispatcher.
Detectives conducted interviews and police said probable cause was found to arrest the teen.
News 6 is not naming the teen due to her age.
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