A Marysville babysitter has been indicted stemming from the death of a 2-month old in her care.
Haylee Breann Rausch, 23, of 20820 Wolford Maskill Road, has been indicted on one count each of reckless homicide and endangering children, both third-degree felonies.
According to court documents, on Jan. 24, 2017, Rausch was babysitting eight-week old Taylor Weber. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said Rausch was alone at her home with Weber and seven other children age three or younger.
Rausch told investigators that at some point she laid the baby in a rocking bassinet. About 11:30 a.m., she went to check on the baby.
“What she tells us is that she took the baby into another room and realized the baby wasn’t breathing,” Union County Coroner Dr. David Applegate said. “She said at that point she called 911 and performed CPR.”
Weber was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators went to the home and spoke to the woman who reenacted, on video, the events of the day.
“Her account of what happened does not match what the results of the autopsy indicate,” Applegate said.
He said when medical examiners looked at the body, the baby’s legs were pale, but her head and chest were red. He explained when someone dies, the blood stops circulating and settles based on gravity. That process is called levidity.
“What we could determine from the levidity, from the color, the baby was laying head down,” Applegate explained.
The doctor explained that upside down, the child could not breathe.
“The baby was unattended such a length of time that it asphyxiated, positional asphyxia,” Applegate said.
He said Rausch “failed to take a lie detector for us.”
Phillips said based on Applegate’s review of the physical evidence and his findings, “we believed there was enough evidence to take the matter to the grand jury and obviously, they indicted.”
The prosecutor said there was no indication Rausch intended to kill the baby, but she allegedly “knew there was a risk and she ignored that risk.”
Applegate added one adult watching eight children under the age of 3 is “a child-endangering concern.”
“When you are a parent and drop your child off, the caregiver has a duty to provide appropriate care and supervision.”
If convicted of both charges, Rausch could face as many as 10 years in prison and a fine of $20,000.
An arraignment hearing has been set for 2:30 p.m., March 28.