A Florida man was arrested in the 2021 choking death of his infant daughter after investigators concluded he put a baby wipe in her mouth, the Indian River County Sheriff\u2019s Office said Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joseph Napier, 30, was arrested Friday on a manslaughter charge, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Napier is accused of killing the infant \u201cby shoving the baby wipe down her throat,\u201d sheriff\u2019s Det. Robert Sunkel said at a news conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Napier called 911 on May 28, 2021, and said his daughter was unresponsive and choking, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputies and EMS rushed to the scene and took the child to a hospital, but she later died, the sheriff\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Napier had claimed that he left the 2-month-old and an 18-month-old alone for 10 minutes, Sheriff Eric Flowers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur forensics team has determined that his claims that the 18-month-old child placed a wipe down the throat of this 2-month-old infant \u2014 we\u2019ve proven that that\u2019s not possible,\u201d officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Napier left both children alone for 30 minutes, not 10, an examination of his phone showed, and Flowers said he waited five minutes to call 911 about the choking incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe knew he was the cause of this. He was getting his story together,\u201d Flowers said, adding, \u201cHe put that wipe in kid\u2019s mouth to shut him up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The infant had colic and was crying, Flowers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flowers said that if he could prove Napier intended to kill the child, the charge would be more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe knew, or should have known, that that would cause harm to this child,\u201d Flowers said, adding, “His neglect of these children absolutely caused the death in this case.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Napier was being held in lieu of $750,000 bond Monday, according to officials and jail records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online court records did not appear to show an attorney who could speak on his behalf. Arraignment was scheduled for Oct. 19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n