Bear– On Monday, July 13, 2020, 20-year-old Dejoynay Ferguson of New Castle was Indicted by a New Castle County Grand Jury in the New Castle County Court House, Wilmington, with updated charges.
On Thursday, September 5, 2019, at approximately 10:35 a.m., Troopers and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the Little People Child Development Center, located at 3843 Wrangle Hill Road, for an unresponsive 4-month-old. The female infant was transported by ambulance to Christiana Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
The investigation, conducted by the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, determined Ferguson was the assigned caregiver for the female victim in the Infant Room at the facility, placed her hands over the victim’s mouth and nose, and intentionally restricted her breathing until she became unresponsive, Troopers said Monday. Once becoming unresponsive, the victim was put back into a crib by Ferguson. After approximately 20 minutes, Ferguson advised the owner of the daycare facility the victim was unresponsive, at which time 911 was called.
Included in the Indictment today was a single count of Murder by Abuse or Neglect, which replaced the original charge of Murder 1st Degree and forty-two counts of Child Abuse 1st Degree against the deceased victim. The time frame of the child abuse charges included in the presented Indictment ranged from July 16, 2019, thru September 5, 2019.
After the initial incident, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, identified four additional child victims, ranging in age from one month through fifteen months of age. Seven additional counts of Child Abuse 1st Degree and three counts of Child Abuse 2nd are associated with the four additional identified victims.
Dejoynay Ferguson remains in the custody of Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.
Original Story
Bear – The Delaware State Police have charged 19-year-old, Dejoynay M. Ferguson of New Castle, with Murder 1st Degree, in connection with the death of a 4-month-old infant who was under her care at a Bear daycare facility, according to Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin.
Austin said on Thursday, September 5, 2019, at approximately 10:35 a.m., Troopers along with Emergency Medical Services personnel responded to the Little People Child Development Center, located at 3843 Wrangle Hill Rd., in reference to an unresponsive 4-month-old. The female infant was subsequently transported to the Christiana Hospital where she was pronounced deceased.
The investigation, being conducted by the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, has determined that Ferguson, who was the assigned caregiver for the female victim in the Infant Room at the facility, placed her hands over the victim’s mouth and nose and intentionally restricted her breathing until she became unresponsive, according to Austin. Once becoming unresponsive the victim was placed back into a crib by Ferguson, said Austin. After approximately 20 minutes Ferguson advised the owner of the facility that the victim was unresponsive at which time a call was made to 911, according to Austin.
Ferguson was charged with one count of Murder 1st Degree and arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court #11 before being committed to the Dolores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $1,000,000.00 cash bail.
As a result of the incident and ongoing investigation, the Office of Childcare Licensing has suspended the license of the facility indefinitely.
Breaking Report
The Delaware State Police have arrested a Bear daycare teacher after an infant’s death, according to a message sent to parents on Thursday.
The message, sent to parents of children that attend the Little People Child Development Cente in Bear, stated that a 19-year-old teacher at the facility was arrested.
Police have released few details surrounding the incident, however, First State Update has learned that families were told that the woman that was arrested is the infant’s teacher.
Court records show that woman named in the message to parents was taken into custody at the Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution at 1:22 Friday morning.
The incident began at 10:34 Thursday morning, September 5, 2019, when rescue crews responded to the daycare facility for reports that a child was receiving CPR.
Sources tell First State Update that the child was later pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Police released the following statement regarding the incident.
“Bear – The Delaware State Police are conducting an investigation into the death of an infant that occurred at approximately 10:35 a.m., Thursday, September 5, 2019, at the Little People Child Development Center, located at 3843 Wrangle Hill Rd., Bear.
As a result of this investigation, the Office of Childcare Licensing has suspended the license of the center indefinitely.
This is an active and ongoing investigation with further details being released as they become available.”
This is a developing story.
