Gainesville, Florida authorities made a distressing announcement on Friday, September 22, about the death of a three-year-old girl who was left unsupervised with her twin sibling for an extensive period.

The local police and medical teams responded to an emergency call earlier in the month, on September 1, concerning an unresponsive toddler at a residence. She was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced deceased. The mother, Donrea McLaughlin, 22, and her boyfriend, Sean D. Lee II, 22, are currently facing criminal charges related to the incident.

Initially, McLaughlin conveyed to the officers that she had discovered her daughter unresponsive after she had taken a nap. She indicated that she herself had been asleep for a lengthy period and was awakened by her boyfriend, Lee. Upon rousing, they reportedly discovered the child in a non-responsive condition.

However, through further examination, the authorities determined that both McLaughlin and Lee had been absent for a period of eight hours due to work, resulting in the children being left at home without any supervision. Upon their return, they encountered the young girl in a critical state.

Subsequent investigation unearthed indications of recurring neglect and maltreatment, which contributed to the death of one child and harm to the other. The police stated that the surviving child was provided medical care on the night of the incident.

The specific circumstances and cause of the girl’s death have not been revealed to the public, as a judge has secured the arrest details to maintain the investigation’s confidentiality.

While the investigation was ongoing, McLaughlin and Lee moved from Gainesville to Atlanta, Georgia, their previous place of residence. With the support of the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force, both were detained in Atlanta and will soon be returned to Alachua County, Florida.

The charges against Lee and McLaughlin include felony murder, severe child abuse, and child neglect. A bond amount of $4.5 million has been established for their potential release.