Arkansas babysitter sentenced to 5 years in 8-month-old's death

Melissa Garcia-Rivera, 21
Melissa Garcia-Rivera, 21

An Arkansas woman pleaded guilty Monday to a manslaughter charge in the death of an 8-month-old she was babysitting, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Melissa Garcia-Rivera, 21, of Rogers said in court that she placed 7 pounds of pillows and blankets on top of the child, causing the girl's death.

Benton County Circuit Judge Robin Green sentenced Garcia-Rivera five years in prison.

The infant was dead when Marco Antonio Garcia, who is engaged to Garcia-Rivera, took her to Mercy Medical Center on Oct. 10, according to a probable cause affidavit. Medical staff told Larry Taylor, a Rogers Police Department detective, that the girl's body had no obvious signs of injuries and the cause of death was unknown, according to the affidavit.

Police interviewed Garcia-Rivera, who said she was frustrated with the child but didn't intentionally hurt her. The woman said she placed the baby in a toddler bed and put pillows on the child when she was on her stomach. She said she left the baby for an hour, and, when she went back to check, the baby wasn't breathing, according to the affidavit.

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