Toronto Mom Facing Murder Charges In Baby’s Death
Posted February 24, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A 38-year-old mother is facing Second Degree Murder charges in connection with the death of her baby girl.
Police said they were called to a home on Manning Avenue (pictured), near Dundas and Bathurst, just before 9pm Saturday after receiving a report of a baby not breathing.
Five-week-old Xin Lei Huang was pronounced dead at the scene.
Her mother, Xiu Zheng, was arrested and appeared in court Sunday.
Detectives said two older children, along with the baby’s father, were home when police first arrived at the residence.
“Any time we investigate the death of a child, particularly a child under five, we have to do a thorough investigation,” said Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Gary Grinton. “Simply because someone has to speak for a child.”
Officials will conduct a search warrant of the home Monday to search for more evidence while Xiu Zheng will make her second court appearance. An autopsy of the forty-day-old baby will also be conducted Monday morning.
In the meantime, neigbours say the family that lived in the home kept to themselves and were rarely seen.
“I’m not really familiar with them,” insisted David Pacheco. “I’m a neighbour two houses up but I don’t really talk to them, or anything like that.”
If you have any information that can help investigators call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
