Fairfield Daycare Owner Rejects Plea Deal In Baby’s Death: Report

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield’s Carol Cardillo is going to trial after rejecting a plea deal in connection to the death of a 4-month-old Shelton baby with an overdose of Benadryl last year at an unlicensed daycare she operated out of her home, according to the Connecticut Post. Cardillo, of Edgewood Road, was arrested by Fairfield Police last September following an investigation into the infant’s death on March 22. She was charged with second-degree manslaughter, second-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor.

Daniel Tepfer of the Post reports that Cardillo rejected a plea deal on Friday in which she could have received a sentence of 15 years, suspended after serving five years in prison, followed by probation. Her attorney would have had the right to argue for a lesser term, according to Tepfer.

Instead, the case will now be continued for trial sometime after Nov. 1. (To sign up for Fairfield breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Cardillo’s arrest came nearly two months after Adam V. Seagull’s death was ruled a homicide. Cardillo has pleaded not guilty.

See also: Parents Speak Out After Fairfield Woman Charged with Baby’s Death

Seagull, who lived in Shelton, was originally thought to have died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, but an autopsy and toxicological tests showed he had high levels of Benadryl in his system. Benadryl should not be administered to children under the age of 2, and should only be administered to children between the age of 2 and 4 years old after consultation with a doctor, police said in a press release announcing the arrest.

Read more about Friday’s court appearance at the Connecticut Post here.

Photo via the Fairfield Police Department