A Brooklyn Center woman who ran an in-home daycare has been charged with second-degree manslaughter after a 7-month-old baby in her care died weeks after being found not breathing. Narcisa De Jesus Morales Deleg, 58, now faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted.
According to KARE 11, the baby's mother arrived at the daycare on June 30, 2025, to pick up her child and found Morales Deleg holding the infant, who was not breathing. Prosecutors allege that Morales Deleg questioned why the mother wanted to call 911 in that moment. The child's mother separately told investigators that Morales Deleg had been holding the infant outside when she realized he was not breathing, as reported by KSTP.
Court documents described by FOX 9 lay out a timeline of that afternoon: the infant took a bottle around 2 p.m. and then slept until about 4:20 p.m. Morales Deleg allegedly gave the child a bottle and left the room, later returning to find the infant slumped over in a swing, not breathing, around 4:40 p.m.
Minutes Ticked By Before Help Was Called
What happened next is where the two published accounts diverge slightly. FOX 9's reporting states the 911 call was not placed until 5:03 p.m., putting the gap at roughly 20 minutes, while KSTP's account describes the emergency call as coming 23 minutes after the infant was found unresponsive. Either way, the complaint alleges that during that window, Morales Deleg was texting and sending messages on Facebook Messenger rather than immediately calling for help.
The station's report notes that each minute that passed during the delay is alleged to have increased the extent of the baby's brain damage, according to the criminal complaint. A child abuse pediatrician told investigators that choking or positional asphyxia may have caused the infant to stop breathing in the first place, per the same account.
Hospitalization and the Child's Death
Paramedics rushed the baby to a hospital, where he was intubated. Doctors determined he had suffered brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen. The infant died at the hospital on July 15, 2025, roughly two weeks after he was first found unresponsive.
The pediatrician who reviewed the case told investigators that the delay in calling 911 — described in the complaint as 15 to 20 minutes — had a significant impact on the child's chances of a meaningful recovery, according to FOX 9's reporting.
Charges Filed, Provider Not in Custody
Morales Deleg was charged by summons and was not in custody when the charges were announced this week, the station reports. Second-degree manslaughter under Minnesota law carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both, according to the state statute.
The case echoes other recent Minnesota daycare tragedies. In Sauk Centre, a daycare employee was charged in connection with the death of a 3-month-old infant in an unsafe-sleep case, and a Minnesota woman was separately charged after a baby suffocated at an unlicensed at-home day care, according to a criminal complaint reported by CBS Minnesota. In Savage, prosecutors detailed allegations that a day care worker suffocated one child and harmed another, per the Star Tribune.
Minnesota regulations require license holders caring for infants to document that caregivers are instructed on infant-safety standards and trained to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death, according to state statute. State guidance also specifies that when an infant is placed in a crib room to sleep, proper supervision means a staff person stays within sight or hearing of the child, per the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
