Quinzena Rancefer (Fort Wayne Police Department).
A woman in Indiana is accused of causing her 2-month-old daughter”s death by falling asleep on the couch with the child in her arms, causing the baby to become wedged underneath a cushion and suffocate.
Quinzena Rancefer, 31, stands charged with neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Though the charge was handed down this week, the incident occurred back in March 2024.
According to court records reviewed by Fort Wayne-based ABC and NBC affiliate WPTA, on the night of March 25, 2024, into March 26, 2024, Rancefer fell asleep on her couch with her baby in her arms. Though she said her child usually slept in a nearby bassinet, on this night, the baby slept between her and the back of the couch so she wouldn’t fall off the furniture, authorities allege.
Then the defendant’s cousin arrived at the apartment, authorities said, finding the infant “face down and lying mostly underneath the couch cushion,” according to the charging document.
The cousin reportedly said he hit Rancefer several times because it was difficult to wake her up.
The cousin realized the baby wasn’t breathing, and Rancefer, at some point, did wake up, becoming “hysterical” upon learning this fact, the court records state.
Officers with the Fort Wayne Police Department were called to the home due to reports of a young child in critical condition.
The girl was later pronounced dead as a result of asphyxia due to overlay and wedging, WPTA reported.
As the investigation continued and police obtained a warrant to search the apartment, investigators allegedly found a glass pipe with burnt residue inside, a torch lighter, suspected marijuana, and prescription pills.
The day the girl died, Rancefer reportedly submitted to an oral drug screen, where she tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine, according to authorities. An Indiana Department of Child Services case manager is said to have discovered the child had been drug-exposed and had THC in her system.
Due to the defendant allegedly testing positive for drugs and the child’s position when she was found not breathing, law enforcement alleged Rancefer was negligent in her daughter’s death.
She is set to have an initial hearing in her case on Tuesday, court records state.
