Babysitter found guilty of manslaughter after giving baby lethal dose of Benadryl
A babysitter in Hawaii was found guilty of manslaughter in the overdose death of a 7-month-old infant.
In February 2019, a baby girl named Abigail Lobisch was found dead at her babysitter Dixie Villa's home. Autopsy reports said the infant had a lethal dose of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine in Benadryl.
KITV said that Villa was taking care of the baby, her older brother, and two of her own children when the incident happened.
Villa was charged with manslaughter in July 2019 but posted bail bond. Since, her bail was raised to $500,000 (P29.3 million) and she was taken into custody.
"A child is gone and there's no bringing her back, but we hope that this offers closure and peace to everybody who's been affected by this case," said deputy prosecutor Tiffany Kaeo as per KITV.
Villa's attorney, Megan Kau, said she'll file a motion for a mistrial after the deputy prosecutor told the court about new evidence showing that the infant's mother, Anna Lobisch, co-slept with her. Co-sleeping is when a baby shares a bed with an adult person like their parent.
Kau added that the evidence is important as it could mean the mother lied on the stand.
She also argued that the baby's mother, father, Villa's children, or a friend could have given Abigail the drug. The defense lawyer later raised that the baby could have received the fatal dose after breastfeeding from her mom, who could have had the drug in her system after taking Tylenol PM, a nighttime pain reliever and sleep aid.
However, Kaeo said Villa was the only one capable of giving the baby the dose and said the babysitter was overwhelmed with taking care of four children. Villa pacified the older kids with iPads and the baby with diphenhydramine, the Star Advertiser reported.
Villa's sentencing is scheduled for February 26, 2025, as per Hawaii News Now.