Detroit parents charged in 11-month-old’s death

A Detroit father and mother have been charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree child abuse in the unsafe sleeping death of their 11-month-old son, prosecutors said.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy on Friday announced she has charged Lorenzo Brooks, 30 and Leticia Molton, 38, in the child’s death.

Police said the parents were arrested Thursday after Brooks dropped the body of the child off at St. John Hospital and Medical Center around 5:20 a.m.

Prosecutors said Molton allegedly woke up around 4 a.m. Thursday and discovered the infant was unresponsive. Brooks then took the infant to the medical facility.

“There are babies in this county dying that should not be dying,” Worthy said in a released statement. “Unsafe sleep practices can be just as fatal to a baby as a gun or knife. The alleged actions of both parents in this case are criminal — they knew their alleged actions could result in the death of their child.”

Brooks and Molton are expected to be arraigned after 11 a.m. Saturday in 34th District Court in Romulus.

An autopsy was completed Friday by the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. Police said there were no signs of trauma to the body. The prosecutor’s office on Friday noted the facts in the case will be presented during Brooks and Molton’s preliminary examination in court.

It was unclear how long the baby had been dead, police said. Investigators located the baby’s father and mother after linking the man’s car to an address.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

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Staff writer Holly Fournier contributed