Mom’s marijuana use, ‘co-sleeping’ led to baby’s fatal injuries, police say

Shante Plummer

By Becky Metrick

 

A mother who was trying to “co-sleep” with her two-month-old caused the girl’s death, according to an investigation into the death by Steelton police.

Charging documents filed against Shante R. Plummer, 39, show first responders were dispatched to the 600 block of North Second Street in Steelton on Oct. 28,2018, for a 2-month-old who was having “breathing issues and may pass.”

When officers arrived, the child was taken to a hospital where she died, according to the affidavit.

Police and medical staff determined the baby had suffered multiple broken ribs, which contributed to her death, according to the affidavit.

Plummer told police that she was taking care of the infant and several other children at the home, according to the affidavit. The baby’s father does not live in the house with the family, so she is the only parent in the house.

The baby was found in distress after the mother and her were “co-sleeping” or sleeping on the same surface when she woke up and found the baby unresponsive, according to the affidavit.

Plummer first said she was woken up by a wail from the child, only to find her on the floor next to the bed, according to the affidavit. When she realized something was not right, she called 911 and was told how to do CPR, Plummer said. She later told EMS that she woke up and found the baby unresponsive, not mentioning the wail.

Plummer consented to a blood draw, which showed she had 49 m/g of Delta -9 Carboxy THC in her system, according to the affidavit. Plummer admitted to smoking marijuana the night before, police wrote in the documents.

Police also believe the bed was a factor in the baby’s death, explaining that it was tilted with the left side 8 inches higher off the ground than the right, according to the affidavit. Plummer told police she was sleeping on the higher side of the bed, laying on her left side while the baby was face down on the lower side of the bed.

The baby’s autopsy found that the girl had suffered six broken ribs, which officials do not believe were caused by CPR, according to the affidavit.

After discussion with medical officials, police believe that the broken ribs could have come from Plummer rolling onto the baby, on the tilted side of the bed, laying on her for “some period of time” while she was intoxicated and asleep, according to the affidavit.

A search of Plummer’s phone records found that she called the baby’s father and spoke to him “for some time” before she called 911 about the infant being in distress, according to the affidavit.

Plummer was arraigned Saturday on charges of criminal homicide and endangering the welfare of children. She is being held at Dauphin County Prison without bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19.