TITUSVILLE — A baby sitter who had been caring for an infant found dead in a cooler outside a Titusville home was charged late Monday in connection with the baby's death.



Titusville police charged Carolyn Renee Miller, 40, of Titusville with felony child neglect and improper disposal of human remains. Police said there may be other charges in this case, depending on results of an autopsy on the 7-month-old boy, Ja-Von Brushan.

Police said Miller told them she discovered the baby dead after taking a nap several days ago, and panicked. The interview led detectives to a residence at 506 S. Deleon Ave., where the infant's body was discovered in a cooler in the back yard of the home of Miller's boyfriend.

Titusville Police Detective Sara Kane-Watson, who interviewed Miller for six hours, said
there are no other suspects in the case at this time. She said the baby's mother and the suspect's boyfriend both are cooperating with the investigation.

A baffling series of events unraveled over the past several days, after the baby's mother, Janelle Richardson of Gibson Street, reported Ja-Von missing.

Police said Richardson, 21, told them she took Ja-Von to the baby sitter last Tuesday. She made contact with the baby sitter on Thursday, and all seemed well. Police reported that Miller came to Richardson's residence that day for diapers and baby formula.

Richardson contacted police Sunday after not being able to reach the baby sitter by cell phone, and not finding friends or relatives who knew the whereabouts of either the baby sitter or Richardson's son.

Miller was located Monday morning and agreed to speak to police, who soon became suspicious when she told them the baby already was back in the mother's care.

Police said that Miller then admitted that the baby died in her care, and instead of calling 9-1-1, she took the baby to her boyfriend's house. There, she allegedly wrapped the dead infant in a sheet, and placed him in a small cooler, then placed a piece of cloth over the cooler and concealed it in the backyard.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110125/NEWS01/101250316/1006/news01/Baby+sitter+charged+in+infant+boy+s+death