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Lauren E. Landgrebe, of Upper Southampton Township, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children, operating an unlicensed daycare facility, and tampering with evidence on Tuesday, June 21, Bucks County Deputy District Attorney Monica W. Furber.
The baby girl died of asphyxiation by strangulation after being placed incorrectly in a car seat and left alone for around two hours on Aug. 27, 2019, the prosecutor said.
Landgrebe was watching eight children at the time, authorities said.
Police were called to her home around 4 p.m. on Aug. 27 after her husband called 911. He was on the phone with the operator while simultaneously performing CPR on the baby, authorities said.
Landgrebe allegedly told investigators that she put the baby in the car seat for a nap around 1 p.m. and went outside to lay by the pool at her home.
She went back in around an hour later to give the baby a bottle, which she propped up on a rolled hand towel because the baby could not hold the bottle herself, Furber said.
Landgrebe again left the room and spent the next two hours by the pool and did not return to check on the infant until 4 p.m., authorities said.
At some point after 2 p.m., Landgrebe claims she took a picture of the napping baby, which she deleted while her husband was on the phone with emergency dispatchers.
Responding officers found the baby partially strapped in a car seat on the dining room table, they said.
The baby was taken to Abington Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m.
Investigators were able to recover the photo, which showed the baby slumped low in the car seat with the chest strap around her neck, they said. The infant's legs, however, were not strapped.
Investigators believe the leg straps would have prevented the baby from sliding down in the seat.
During an autopsy, a mark consistent with a chest strap buckle was found on the baby's neck, authorities said. The coroner determined the baby died from asphyxia due to strangulation from a car seat restraint.
Landgrebe also pleaded no contest to a count of receiving stolen property stemming from the theft of Social Security Disability funds, discovered by detectives while investigating the child’s death.
Her sentencing was deferred for 20 days.
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