Daycare Provider Shook Baby Boy To Death: Charges

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A St. Louis Park woman has been charged in the death of an 11-month-old baby boy, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman announced Monday. Sylwia Pawlak-Reynolds, 42, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder of the infant who was in her care.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 12 police responded to a call in the 4900 block of 18th Ave. S. in Minneapolis. Upon arrival, officers heard a woman’s voice in the backyard. They opened the gate and saw a baby lying on a patio table. Pawlak-Reynolds was performing chest compressions on the boy, who was unresponsive.

Police and paramedics worked to resuscitate him but he was declared dead at the Hennepin County Medical Center the next day, the complaint states.

At the scene, officers spoke to Pawlak-Reynolds, who operated the in-home daycare. The baby and his 6-year-old sister were among the children in her care.

Pawlak-Reynolds claimed that the baby was crying loudly so she put him in a highchair in the kitchen and gave him some milk and pieces of a Rice Krispy bar. The report states that she went to the backyard briefly to check on the other children and when she returned found the baby limp, his eyes were partially closed and his tongue was sticking out. She grabbed her phone, took the baby to the backyard table, called 911 and then started chest compressions.
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However, the pediatric ophthalmologist who examined the baby at HCMC said there was damage to his eyes that was consistent with severe shaking.

The autopsy confirmed the baby died of cardiac arrest due to severe brain swelling. The medical examiner identified traumatic injury to the baby’s brain, neck, and eyes that is consistent with an acceleration-deceleration injury. Additionally, the examiner could not identify any natural or accidental cause, according to police.

The toxicology results also revealed there was diphenhydramine, an antihistamine found in over-the-counter medications such as Benadryl, in the baby’s blood. The parents denied giving him any medication containing an antihistamine.

A warrant has been issued for Pawlak-Reynolds’ arrest.

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