California Toddler Found Dead Inside Motel; Mom's Boyfriend Arrested

Authorities arrested a man allegedly involved in the death of a California toddler found unconscious in a Sacramento motel last week.

In a press statement released Monday, the Sacramento Police Department said officers and firefighters, who responded to a call about an unresponsive child, found the three-year-old boy at a Motel 6 in the 1400 block of 30th Street at 7:30 a.m. last Tuesday.

According to authorities, the California toddler was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, The Sacramento Bee reported. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office has identified the child as Jetakhia Conway.

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Police Said California Toddler's Death Is Suspicious

According to the police, the Sacramento Fire Department "provided medical aid" to Jetakhia Conway before transporting him to the hospital, where the California toddler eventually died. Homicide investigators were called in when the Sacramento County Coroner's Office said the death of a toddler was suspicious.

"I just want people to know that I didn't know what was happening to my child that night," Michelle Cole, mother of Cole, told FOX 40.

According to Michelle, her partner went out with her son for a few hours the night before the California toddler's death. She claimed that she had put Cole to bed because she thought he had fallen asleep when her son and boyfriend returned.

Cole's grandmother told FOX 40 that the boyfriend her daughter was talking about was Lashawn Sparks, 30.

"This time, he brought him back, and I just thought he was asleep. I thought he was asleep, and he laid him down. And I guess he was dying slowly in his sleep. And I didn't know," Cole's mother said.

"It was my boyfriend that I trusted. I didn't think he could do something like this," she added.

Sparks was arrested on charges of child endangerment and homicide on February 10 and was booked into Sacramento County's Main Jail.

Another 3-Year-Old Boy Found Dead in Tacoma Apartment, Mother Arrested

Another 3-year-old boy was also discovered dead in an apartment in Tacoma, Washington State, on Sunday night, prompting authorities to launch a separate investigation.

After receiving a call about a kid who was unconscious and "cold to the touch" at a South Mason Avenue apartment at around 7:30 p.m., police arrived on the scene.

Officers walked into the unit and discovered the toddler when they got inside. Authorities said they tried everything they could to save the boy, but he was pronounced dead on the spot. The police then arrested a 25-year-old female suspect and took her to the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of second-degree murder.

The lady arrested was identified by Tacoma police as the toddler's mother, FOX 13 reported. There have been five murders in Tacoma this year; the 3-year-old was the third among the kids killed.

The causes of the child's death are unknown. Authorities also found another kid in the apartment, and was placed into protective custody.

Tacoma Police Department Spokesperson Wendy Haddow said having a young victim, whether 3 or 14, significantly impacts not only the child's family but also their department, fire department employees, and the community.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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