Infant’s death mysterious

An 8-month-old Spokane baby, who was born on New Year’s Day, was found not breathing Friday morning in her home. Paramedics rushed the girl to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Spokane police major crimes Detective Marty Hill took over the investigation at 2708 W. Bridge Ave., but authorities were uncertain what caused the baby to die, Sgt. Tony Giannetto said.

“We are here because it was an unexpected death of a baby. We have to investigate it. It could have been natural. We don’t know,” he said.

Jessica Probst, 18, is the baby’s aunt. She said she was sleeping in the home Friday morning when her brother, the baby’s father, awoke her.

“He was screaming,” Probst said of her brother. “That’s probably the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life – that picture in my head.

“I just sat outside and cried and freaked out.”

Both Probst and her father, who was also in the home at the time, frantically called 911. The 20-year-old father of the baby started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation before emergency crews arrived.

Spokane Fire Department units arrived first, quickly followed by paramedics in an ambulance.

Giannetto said a paramedic was walking out the front door with the baby in his hands when the first police officers arrived.

“The baby had been sleeping, and they found the baby dead when a parent woke up,” Giannetto said.

The baby’s father lives at the home but is not married to the baby’s mother. The couple had been trying to reach a custody agreement, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

Police could not find any obvious cause of death, which will be determined by an autopsy scheduled for Monday, Cottam said.

Other than Probst, the girl’s family had gathered at Sacred Heart Medical Center and Detective Hill was interviewing them, Giannetto said.

Probst said the baby girl had not recently had any health problems.

“It’s a sad thing. She had been perfectly fine,” Probst said. “She played all the time. She was a happy little baby.”

Cottam said police had been at the same address recently for a domestic violence call but had no further information.

Neighbor Don Howard said there has been trouble at the house in the past.

“There are problems down there continuously. There are always fights going on.”