Day care murder: Worker, 19, charged with murder of baby girl in Delaware

BEAR, Delaware (WPVI) -- A 19-year-old daycare worker has been charged with the murder of a 4-month-old baby in Bear, Delaware.

The Delaware State Police announced Friday that Dejoynay Ferguson has been charged with first-degree murder. She is being held at the Dolores J. Baylor Women's Correctional Institution on $1 million cash bail.

Police responded to the Little People Child Development Center on the 3800 block of Wrangle Hill Road around 10:35 a.m. Thursday for the report of an unresponsive child.

The baby girl was taken to Christiana Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

State police said Ferguson was the assigned caregiver to the infant at the facility.

According to police documents, video from inside the daycare show Ferguson grabbing the 4-month-old girl from the floor, and putting her on a changing table.

Ferguson is seen putting on latex gloves and then allegedly covering the infant's mouth and nose for more than three minutes.

Police said the child became motionless and unresponsive before Ferguson removes her hands.

Ferguson then placed the child back into a crib, according to police.

The Delaware News Journal reports that Ferguson told police she had grabbed the child by the shirt because the baby was "fussy" and wouldn't stop crying.

After approximately 20 minutes, police said Ferguson told the owner of the daycare that the baby was unresponsive and 911 was called.

The Office of Childcare Licensing has suspended the license of the facility indefinitely.