A Maine father has been charged with murder over the death of his 12-week old daughter following their first solo playdate together.
Her family’s nightmare unfolded when emergency services received a 911 call shortly before midday on Friday, January 16, with the dispatcher alerting first responders that a baby was “turning blue.”
Members of the Orrington Fire and Rescue, the Brewer Fire Department, and the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the residence on Harvest Drive in Orrington to provide aid to the infant, Maine State Police said in a statement.
While they were en route, the dispatcher provided additional information, adding that a relative had called and reported that “the father of this child is alone with the child for the first time,” reported the Boston Globe.
When emergency services arrived at the home, they performed CPR on the baby, identified as Lyla Samuels, and she began breathing again; she was then rushed to a nearby hospital in Bangor.
Due to her injuries, the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-North was called in to investigate, and her father, Shawn S. Samuels, 24, was arrested the next day for Domestic Violence Elevated Aggravated Assault (Class A) and two counts of Violation of Bail (Class E).
A day after his arrest, baby Lyla died in the hospital on Sunday, January 18; the state medical examiner determined her death was a homicide, Maine State Police said, although the exact cause of death remains under investigation.
After the autopsy, detectives “arrested Samuels for Murder at the Penobscot County Jail, where he remains in custody,” the statement from the department said. He was arraigned via video at the Penobscot County Judicial Centre in Bangor last Wednesday, where he entered a plea of not guilty and was ordered held on $250,000 bail.
Baby Lyla’s mother, Leah Collins, told the Bangor Daily News her daughter was “a gift from God, returned to Heaven much too soon”.
She had been born prematurely but quickly grew, and “amazed even her pediatrician with her strength and attentiveness”, Collins said.
“She knew how to pull on her mom‘s heartstrings to make sure nearly every nap was tucked in warm and close to her chest,” added Lyla’s mom, and she would be deeply missed.
“Her smiles, grunts, giggles, and coos brought joy to all who knew her. She is missed beyond what words could ever express, but will forever stay in our hearts as the precious, perfect baby girl that she is.”
A GoFundMe page set up to support Lyla’s family had raised more than $11,000 by Monday morning, already exceeding an initial target of $10,000.
“Our hearts break alongside baby Lyla’s Mom Leah, and the Collins family who are currently walking through a tremendously dark and difficult time,” said the description for the GoFundMe, which was set up by a user identified as the “Jenkins Family”.
“This family is loved by so many people. They would never ask for this type of support on their own but we refuse to allow them to suffer alone or assume this burden without the support of their friends, family, and community.
“We rejoice with those who rejoice, and we weep with those that weep. This is a time for weeping and a time for us to come alongside them to support them with love, prayer, and practical needs as they walk through dark days.”
Maine State Police said Lyla’s death was an isolated incident with no ongoing public safety concerns.
The next court date for Shawn S. Samuels is set for February 13.
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