Toddler Dies in Sitter’s Care as Mother Attends Clinic in Georgetown

A mother in Georgetown Village, Stann Creek District, is grappling with the sudden death of her 16-month-old baby.  21-year-old, Laruni Castillo was reportedly attending clinic and had taken her children with her.  Whilst at the clinic she encountered a woman who would normally babysit her children.  With that trust established, Castillo allowed the sitter to leave the clinic with the children, but little did she know that it would be the last time she would see her toddler alive.  According to the mother, when she went to pick up the baby from the sitter’s house, the sister was sleeping.  It was upon waking up that the sitter, who slept next to the baby, realized that the baby was still and not breathing. Love News spoke with the bereaved mother on what transpired yesterday.

Laruni Castillo, Mother of Deceased: “When I went yesterday I went yesterday I knocked on the door nobody answered the door and I knocked. I was there for two minutes the most and I was knocking and they young lady like she noticed that I was knocking so when she looked like she was coming off the bed she looked at my baby and my baby was lying down in her vomit and I heard her just saying “McKayla, McKayla” So I just busted open the door and I ran in. When I ran in my baby was on her belly face down, not face down but her face was to the side in her vomit. And I picked up my baby. I picked up my baby you know your mom, old people will say when a baby is choking you hit their back, you throw them in their face, you breathe in their faces. So I did all of that and it’s like God just told me put your head on your baby’s chest. When I put my head on my baby’s chest no heartbeat. No movement. My baby’s head just fell back in my hand. All I could have done was just run with my baby. I ran to my auntie because my aunty lives right beside the young girl. I ran to my auntie. When I ran to my auntie I said “Aunty Di, Aunty Di. McKayla , my baby.” So when I ran there I don’t even know if I threw my baby in my baby’s hand or set her in my auntie’s hand I don’t know what I did and my auntie just took one look at my princess, one look at my baby and may aunty said “Lar.” On the ground and asked God why me, what did I do, I was just going to run an errand. The only reason why I didn’t like taking my baby there because Independence is hot in the day and I don’t have an umbrella, they destroy the umbrella you know babies. And I said I won’t take long.”

According to a police blotter, the sitter, 18-year-old, Nikia Cancio had fed the child rice and chocolate milk before putting her down for a nap just before two o’clock in the afternoon.  Two hours later, the child was found unresponsive.  Investigators have categorized the incident as a death investigation./