unnamed boy
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CANDID ID: WI_23_2238
AGE
Infant
STATE
Wisconsin
DATE OF DEATH
1/27/2023
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
STATE REPORTS
SUMMARY OF DEATH
On January 27, 2023, the mother gave birth to a baby boy alone at her home in a Whitewater, Wisconsin trailer park without any medical assistance. She had concealed the pregnancy from her children because the baby was conceived through a relationship with a man other than the father of her other children. The mother stated the baby was alive at birth but possibly choking, and she watched as the baby began turning purple — first in the face, then the body, and then the arms and hands — over the course of the night. She did not call 911 or provide any assistance because she was afraid her children would discover her pregnancy. After the baby died, she hid the body under the sink in a plastic bag, later placed it in a cardboard box wrapped in a pink sweatshirt, and drove to a field near the trailer park at approximately 5 a.m. to leave it. The baby's remains were not discovered until March 4, 2023, when witnesses found the box in the field and called 911. The Medical Examiner found no signs of trauma, and the official cause of death was undetermined with negative toxicology. The mother was charged with neglecting a child resulting in death and moving, hiding, or burying a child.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?

Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

Is there any mention of medical neglect?

While the term "medical neglect" is not used explicitly, the neglect substantiated by the agency fundamentally involves failure to provide medical care. The Daily Union article quotes the criminal complaint: "She never helped the baby. She did not call 911 because she was scared of her children finding out she was pregnant." The mother admitted the baby was alive, possibly choking, turning purple, and she did not provide any medical assistance or call for help. The fatality report states the agency "found a preponderance of the evidence to substantiate maltreatment of neglect of the infant by the mother."

Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?

Individuals Involved

Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?

Was a biological father involved in the death?

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

The fatality report states: "The Initial Assessment completed by the agency found a preponderance of the evidence to substantiate maltreatment of neglect of the infant by the mother." The mother was criminally charged with "Neglecting a Child (Consequence is Death)." The news articles identify the mother as Santos Asucena Caseres Cruz, who gave birth to the child and admitted she "never helped the baby" and "did not call 911."

Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?

Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?

Was a foster parent involved in the death?

Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?

Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)

Was a sibling involved in the death?

Child Characteristics

Was the child adopted?

Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?

Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?

Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?

Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)

Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)

Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?

Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?

Parent/Caregiver Factors

Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?

The fatality report states: "the mother was criminally charged with Neglecting a Child (Consequence is Death)." The Daily Union article adds: "The Jefferson County District Attorney charged Caseres Cruz on Tuesday with neglecting a child resulting in death and moving, hiding or burying a child." The NBC15 article reports she was arrested and "booked into the Jefferson Co. jail Friday on counts of concealing the death of a child and resisting or obstructing an officer."

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?

Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

The WD Times article reports that a competency hearing was ordered for the mother: "attorney Jeffrey De La Rosa, who represents Caseres Cruz, raised the issue of his client's competency before Jefferson County Branch II Circuit Court Judge William Hue. Hue ordered the competency examination and said it should be filed within 30 days." A court-ordered competency examination relates to the defendant's mental fitness to stand trial, which references mental health.

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Notable Details

Several notable details emerge from the text. The Daily Union article reports the mother concealed her pregnancy because the baby was conceived through a relationship with a man other than the father of her other children: "She did not call 911 because she was scared of her children finding out she was pregnant." After the baby died, she placed the body in a plastic bag under the sink, then in a cardboard box, and drove to a field at 5 a.m. to leave it. The baby was not discovered for over five weeks (born ~Jan 27, found March 4). The mother was also charged with moving, hiding, or burying a child, in addition to neglect resulting in death. The WD Times article reports a competency evaluation was ordered for the mother before she could be arraigned. The police were able to trace the mother because "a person she knew was associated with an address on the box."

Lives Cut Short