Parents charged with manslaughter after 5.5 pound 6-month-old dies of starvation
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) – A Fayetteville infant was severely malnourished and weighed 5.5 pounds when she died of starvation, according to an autopsy report.
On January 29, officers were called to an apartment of Nelson and Gonzalez in the 900 block of Pedro Drive for an unresponsive child.
Solana Gonzalez had been found unresponsive in the apartment by her parents, Brianna Nelson, 26, and Joshua Gonzalez, 25, police said.
The infant was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy performed on the 6-month-old said Solana Gonzalez’ body weight was less than the fifth percentile for her age and gender.
Solana Gonzalez was last seen alive on a couch with her mother’s hand on her back, the report says.
Brianna Nelson reported said the child had abnormal breathing and “excess oral secretions.”
The child was born at 37 weeks by Cesarean-section due to due to pre-eclampsia, the autopsy says.
On Aug. 30, Solana Gonzalez weighed 6.4 pounds and 6.8 pounds a month later. The infant had not been seen by a doctor since she was 2 months old, the autopsy says.
While Brianna Nelson said she breastfed the child, supplemented by formula, one empty container of baby food was found on the kitchen counter, the report says.
No stored milk or formula was found in the couple’s home and no empty baby food containers were found in the trash, the autopsy says.
On Wednesday, Fayetteville police charged Brianna Nelson and Joshua Gonzalez with manslaughter in the child’s death.