ATLANTA — A daycare worker is now behind bars and facing a murder charge after a 6-month-old died while in her care in February 2021.
Warrants said that Stephanie Thompson, who worked at the Easter Seals Center Sylvan on Melrose Drive in southwest Atlanta, placed baby Ocean Carter on a boppy pillow as he slept which eventually led to his death.
The warrants claim that Thompson unintentionally caused the death of the child.
Baby Ocean was on the pillow for at least 20 minutes to an hour without proper supervision, according to the arrest warrant. The child was found unresponsive and later died at the hospital.
Baby Ocean's death was originally deemed due to natural causes until investigators received a call from the child's mother a few months ago.
Officers then contacted the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning's Bright from the Start program to determine who was working at the time. That's when authorities found that Thompson and another worker were in the building at the time of baby Ocean's death.
The other worker was not present in the room where baby Ocean was sleeping, warrants stated.
After the state investigated, Thompson said that the baby fell asleep in her arms. She then placed the baby on the pillow face up and began working on her laptop, according to the warrants.
Two other children then woke up from their naps and Thompson fed them. When Thompson last checked, baby Ocean was still asleep.
The 6-month-old then began making noises and was unsupervised.
Baby Ocean Carter died in 2021 after a daycare worker failed to supervise him while he was sleeping
Thompson said baby Ocean then raised his arm and she thought that he was just turning over, according to the warrant.
After she finished feeding the other children, she checked on baby Ocean and noticed he wasn't breathing.
Someone called 911 and started CPR on the infant.
After reviewing training records, authorities found that boppy pillows were not listed as approved safety material for infants to sleep in, warrants revealed.
The warrant added that the training documents dictated that all infants must be moved to a crib or car seat when napping.
Lena Barber, the director of the center, said that the boppy pillows were only allowed for children who were awake.
Thompson and the center were in state violation for failing to supervise and placing a child in an unsafe sleeping environment, according to Bright from the Start.
According to the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission, the pillow causes suffocation. Certain boppy pillows were recalled seven months after baby Ocean's death, according to the federal department. The recall happened after 10 infants died across the country.
CPSC stated that if infants move around they can suffocate or be in a position that obstructs breathing. They could also roll off the surface of the pillow, according to the recall alert. At least 3 million boppy pillows were recalled that year.
It is unclear if the boppy pillow used in Baby Ocean's death was one that was later recalled.
Thompson is accused of with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children. She was denied bond Tuesday at her first appearance court hearing.