Photo: Arman Zhenikeyev / Corbis / Getty Images
In Monterey County, California, two women have been arrested following the death of a three-month-old infant at an alleged unlicensed daycare. According to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, Maria Marquez, 62, and her daughter Johanna Marquez, 35, operated the daycare out of their home on Hillcrest Road in Royal Oaks. The daycare reportedly cared for up to 30 children of various ages at a time.
Emergency services were called to the daycare just before 10:30 a.m. on Saturday (May 24) after a 911 caller reported that the infant was unconscious and not breathing. The baby was transported to a local hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The sheriff's office gathered enough evidence to arrest Maria and Johanna Marquez. They have been charged with involuntary manslaughter, felony child endangerment, and operating a daycare without a state license. Their bail was set at $50,000 each. As of Monday (May 26), Maria had been released on bail, while Johanna remained in custody.
The cause of the infant's death has not yet been released.