OPELOUSAS, La. (TCN) — A Louisiana mother and father have been taken into custody after being charged with first-degree murder in the death of their 2-month-old daughter.
Police found the infant on the evening of Oct. 25 after being called to a home for a medical emergency, KPLC-TV reports. The child was not breathing, and responders attempted lifesaving measures. She was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival.
In a press release issued Oct. 31, the Opelousas Police Department said an autopsy revealed that the infant “suffered severe neglect and physical abuse.” This included extreme dehydration and malnourishment, broken rib bones, and a severed lower spine resulting in internal bleeding, which ultimately caused the child’s death.
Police obtained arrest warrants for the parents, Kaylee Fontenot and Taylor Broussard, both 18, on charges of first-degree murder, cruelty to juveniles, and second-degree battery. They located and arrested Fontenot and took her into custody, but Broussard remained at large until he turned himself in, police said in an update on Nov. 3.
Police Chief Graig LeBlanc said the investigation is ongoing.
MORE:
Press release from the Opelousas Police Department
Update from the Opelousas Police Department
Parents accused of killing their 2-month-old daughter – KPLC-TV
Pair Accused of Killing Baby with ‘Unimaginable Abuse,’ Including Severed Spine – People
