Latest news with #LillianBurton
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Baby's cause of death revealed as family say the puppy originally blamed for her killing has not been put down
The parents of the one-month-old baby who died in a New York apartment building on Tuesday have spoken out, saying that their child died as a result of SIDS. Initial reports said that Kiyanna Winfield was killed after being mauled by a six-week-old pit bull and German Shepherd mix. 'Our baby died of SIDS, from sudden infant death syndrome,' the baby's stepfather, who wanted to be identified as Christopher, told The New York Post. 'She also had medical issues. She had a heart murmur. The dog did eat the baby's face. It was put down,' he added. However, the Animal Care Centers of NYC confirmed to The Independent Friday that the pet dog was still alive, three days after the horror incident unfolded at the Queensbridge Houses complex in Long Island City. 'Sudden infant death syndrome' or SIDS is sometimes known more commonly as cot death. It is the sudden, unexpected, and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. When police arrived at the family's home on Tuesday morning, the girl's mother, Lillian Burton, reportedly told cops Kiyanna had been sleeping between her and her partner when they woke up to find the dog gnawing at her face. Police found Kiyanna unconscious with 'a substantial portion' of her face bitten off. In an interview Thursday with The Post, the baby's mother protested: 'I did not kill my child.' 'Our baby was alive when we all went to sleep. That is the last thing we know,' the stepfather said. The pair stated that they had only purchased Bella, the small pup, two weeks prior to the tragic incident. 'We think that the dog is so young that it didn't understand, but it was trying to help the baby because it only targeted the mouth and the nose,' Christopher said. 'We think maybe the baby was gasping for air and the puppy didn't realize it was a part of her, so the puppy was trying to clear whatever was on her face to breathe,' he said. 'We don't think the puppy was purposely hurting our child.' The child's cause of death is yet to be released by the medical examiner. No charges have been filed by the NYPD.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Queens baby died from SIDS, not pit bull mauling, parents reveal
A one-month-old baby girl found dead with severe facial injuries in a Queens housing complex last week did not die from a dog mauling, rather from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to her grieving parents and a preliminary medical report. Little Kiyanna Winfield was discovered lifeless in bed by her mother, Lillian Burton, and stepfather, Christopher, early Tuesday morning inside their apartment at the Queensbridge Houses. Initially, police believed the infant was killed by the family's six-week-old pit bull-German Shepherd mix named Bella, who was later euthanised. However, on Wednesday, the New York City Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the dog's bites came after the baby had already died. 'We can confirm this is not a death from a dog mauling,' a spokesperson for the office said, adding that the cause of death is 'pending further study to include a full pediatric workup.' The family claim they had no idea their daughter had passed away until the devastating discovery that morning. 'Our baby was alive when we all went to sleep. That is the last thing we know,' said Christopher. 'Our baby died of SIDS… She also had medical issues. She had a heart murmur," the New York Post reported. The couple say they were horrified to wake up and find the young pup biting Kiyanna's face around 6:30 a.m. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, with authorities describing the injuries as involving a 'substantial portion' of her face. 'I did not kill my child,' Lillian Burton said in an emotional interview. "I take real good care of my kids," she said, "They're well fed, they're well changed, they're well put together." "For someone to say my kids are malnourished, that isn't true." Photographs show Kiyanna as a healthy newborn weeks before the tragedy, peacefully napping at the hospital and at home. Neighbours told The Post they had raised concerns about the puppy days earlier. 'I told her, 'That dog needs to be on a leash,'' said Shanel Nroville, who lives in the building. 'She said, 'No, this dog don't bite.' I said, 'All dogs bite.'' The family has since been locked out of their apartment while police continue their investigation. No charges have been filed as authorities await the final autopsy results.
