Woman says she cared for baby girl hours before her death, ruled a homicide: "Something was wrong"
MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee County medical examiner has ruled the death of a nearly four-month-old baby girl who died on November 7th at Children's Hospital a homicide. And we are hearing from a woman who says she cared for the girl in the hours leading up to her death.
India Gilmore
According to the medical examiner's report, India Gilmore died as a result of blunt force injuries to the head. The medical examiner's report also indicates the child had healing rib fractures.
The report indicates Gilmore was found unresponsive by her father, in a car seat at her home, and she died at the hospital.
FOX6 News spoke with a woman who says she helped care for the baby girl, and she said she wishes she would have stepped in.
Amanda Hadrick
"I looked in that babies eyes and I could see something was wrong," Amanda Hadrick said.
Hadrick broke down as she spoke of India Gilmore -- especially now that she has learned the baby girl's death has been ruled a homicide.
"I just kept feeling something ain`t right here," Hadrick said.
Hadrick said the child's parents dropped her off on November 6th unexpectedly, and said the child had been sick and fussy.
Hadrick had cared for the child periodically in the past, and said she immediately felt uneasy on November 6th.
"I'm like, she is not responding like her normal self and look how limp she is. She kept making me nervous because she wasn`t taking her bottle. Then I kept seeing these little bubbles form in her mouth," Hadrick said.
Hadrick claims she wanted to take the child to get help, but she instead called the girl's mother.
Amanda Hadrick
"'Please come on back and take this baby to the doctor.' She said 'OK I'll be there,'" Hadrick said.
Instead, reports show the parents took the baby elsewhere.
With the child in tow, reports from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office show the father dropped the mother off at work, and then ran some errands.
Upon returning home, the child was asleep in the car seat in the car. The father told investigators they would typically leave the child in the car seat for 30 to 60 minutes before removing her and putting her to sleep in a Rock 'n Play or Pack 'n Play. Around 11:30 p.m., when the child's father went to give her a bottle, she didn't respond. The father noted the child's lip appeared white and "not normal," and he called 911.
Officials with the Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the child's home.
At the time of her death at the hospital, the report notes that there was no trauma, and foul play wasn't suspected. We're told the trauma found on the child was found during an autopsy, and was internal, which is why it wasn't noticed initially.
FOX6 News was not able to reach the parents for comment.
"Overall they`ve been loving parents," Hadrick said.
That's why Hadrick wants to know the truth.
"I want some questions answered. What happened to this baby? Why did you bring me your sick baby that day?" Hadrick said.
Hadrick, who was also the child's godmother, told FOX6 News she hasn't heard from the family since November.
On November 7th, the day the child died at Children's Hospital, Milwaukee police arrested the child's mother and father -- a 21-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man for child abuse.
This case has been ruled a homicide, but there have not yet been any criminal charges filed.