Police: Infant Died While Intoxicated Grandmother Slept Nearby

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are investigating the death of a 10-week-old infant who allegedly died while in the care of his intoxicated, 46-year-old grandmother.

Just after 1 p.m. on July 7, emergency responders were called to a home on the 3600 block of Denmark Avenue in Eagan on reports of an infant in cardiac arrest, according to a search warrant affidavit filed in Ramsey County District Court.

The boy was blue and cool to the touch when officers arrived at the residence. Resuscitation efforts by Eagan police, Eagan Fire Rescue and Health East Paramedic personnel ultimately failed, the warrant said.

Police interviewed the infant's mother, who said she left the boy in the care of his grandmother while she stayed overnight at a friend's home. When she returned to her home around 1 p.m., she found the boy's distraught grandmother holding the boy to her chest, the warrant said.

The infant and his mother were transported to a children's hospital in Saint Paul, where the boy was later declared dead.

Police interviewed the grandmother, who appeared intoxicated and fell asleep while talking to officers. She allegedly told police that she woke at 9 a.m. that morning to feed the baby, then fell asleep with him beside her on the bed. A preliminary breath test showed that the grandmother had a blood-alcohol level of .187, police said. The grandmother allegedly told police that she has medical problems and was also taking morphine and oxycodone.

While police executed a search warrant at the home, the victim's grandmother asked to use the bathroom. When she returned, police noticed she appeared more intoxicated and less coherent, according to the warrant. She eventually collapsed on the floor and was transported to Regions Hospital in St. Paul. Emergency responders learned that she had ingested a large amount of pills in an attempt to commit suicide, police said.

Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald said police are waiting for the infant's autopsy results before forwarding the investigation to the Dakota County Attorney's Office for any criminal charges.

The grandmother remains hospitalized, according to an article in the Pioneer Press.