An infant was found dead inside a Flagstaff hotel room Sunday, turning a routine welfare call into a major investigation at a La Quinta Inn off Interstate 40 and North Fourth Street.
Flagstaff police say officers arrived at the hotel and discovered a baby who did not survive. Two other children in the same room were found unharmed. Detectives have launched an active investigation and are working to piece together what happened inside that room.
According to 12News, officers were dispatched Sunday on a report of a possible infant death at the La Quinta Inn near I-40 and N. Fourth Street, where they found the deceased baby and the two surviving children.
Investigation underway
The Flagstaff Police Department says detectives are processing the scene, interviewing witnesses and following up on leads, according to the Flagstaff Police Department. The case remains very much open, with investigators treating the hotel room as a key piece of the puzzle.
Anyone with information is asked to call the department's non-emergency line at 928-774-1414. Tipsters who want to remain anonymous can contact Coconino Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.
Statewide context
Arizona has a Safe Haven and safe-surrender system intended to give parents in crisis a legal way to surrender a newborn safely. The state’s Department of Child Safety provides information on where and how that can be done, as outlined by Arizona DCS. Previous tragedies in hotels and other public places have led officials to highlight those options and push out more infant-safety outreach, including coverage of an infant found deceased in Yuma hotel garbage that drew statewide attention.
What happens next
Police have not released a cause of death, the identity of the infant, or any information about people connected to the hotel room. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday, 12News reports.
The department says it will release more details as the investigation develops.
