Baby Dies After Being Left in Care of 8-Yr-Old Sibling

A mother in Brooklyn, NY was recently arrested after her 11-month-old infant died when she left him, and three siblings, in the care of her 8-year-old son. Denise Gonzalez, 29, left her children alone with their (slightly) older brother so that she could go to Target with her 40-year-old boyfriend, Rafael Colon.

The 8-year-old was left to care for three other kids, ages 6, 3, and 2 as well as the baby, Major Gonzalez. When the parents returned, they found Major was having trouble breathing and had a bruise on his forehead. He died a short time later in the hospital.

Denise Gonzalez has given birth to 10 children and has been the subject of investigations by child welfare agencies in two states. She has had several kids removed and placed in foster care. According to the NY Daily News, Arleen Ralph, Gonzalez's defense lawyer, said her client had suffered "a lapse of judgment," explaining that Gonzalez didn't think Colon could handle the task of buying toys and diapers alone.

Gonzalez and Colon were charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, but prosecutor Joe Tillman said that felony charges were likely to be added after an autopsy determines the official cause of death.