Even as the grandfather of 17-month-old Jaedon Cudjoe who died after being locked in a car for eight hours appears in court today, police are probing the death of another baby. Seventeen-day-old Shivani Straughn was found dead at her Carapichaima home less than two hours after she was breast fed and put to sleep yesterday. Police said around 5 am the child’s mother Priscilla Ramcharitar, 29, breast fed the baby who fell asleep and was left on the bed.
When the child’s father Damien Straughn was leaving for work around 6.30 am he went to check on the baby who was motionless. The baby was taken to the Couva Health Facility where she was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy is expected to be performed today. WPC Parks is investigating. Meanwhile Winston Jerricho Cudjoe, 56, is expected to appear before a Siparia magistrate today charged with manslaughter.
Cudjoe forgot to drop Jaedon off at the baby sitter on Tuesday after he received a call abut a promotion. Jaedon was asleep in the back seat of his car, strapped into a car seat, around 7.30 am at the Petrotrin Penal Installation where Cudjoe worked. When he returned around 4.30 pm the child was dead. Cudjoe was charged on Friday evening, but was granted $200,000 bail at the station so he could attend his grandson’s funeral. The service took place on Saturday at the family’s Aquat Village, Quinam, home.