South Carolina Mother Arrested After 11-Month-Old Found Dead in Insect-Infested Apartment
A 27-year-old mother has been arrested following the death of her 11-month-old child in North Charleston, where investigators say the infant was living in deplorable conditions.
According to the North Charleston Police Department, Janette Clayton has been charged with three counts of unlawful conduct toward a child after authorities discovered the infant deceased inside an apartment on Eleanor Drive.
First responders found the baby partially wrapped in a blanket near the front doorway of the residence. Firefighters were already performing lifesaving measures when police officers and EMS personnel arrived, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators reported finding almost none of the basic necessities needed to care for children inside the apartment, including an apparent lack of food and childcare supplies. Authorities also described severe insect infestations throughout the residence, including inside drawers and the refrigerator.
Police said Clayton was outside the apartment with the child’s paternal grandmother and her two other children when officers arrived.
The infant’s official cause of death has not yet been released.
The case has also prompted an internal review after officials learned that two officers had previously responded to the same apartment before the child’s death. Both officers have been placed on administrative leave while state authorities examine whether department policies were properly followed during the earlier encounter.
Clayton was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center as investigators continue to examine both the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death and the prior police response.
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