VERO BEACH, Fla. – A Florida man is facing manslaughter charges in the death of his two-month-old daughter, after a two-year long investigation.
On May 28, 2021, Indian River County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about an unresponsive infant in Vero Beach.
Recommended Videos
Deputies said the caller, Joseph Napier, who identified himself as the baby’s father, said he left the baby and his 18-month-old daughter unattended on a couch for 10 minutes and found the baby choking.
According to an arrest report, he said he waited five minutes before calling for help.
Detectives later determined that Napier spent approximately 30 minutes on his cell phone, making his timeline inaccurate.
According to the report, during an exam of the 2-month-old, a baby wipe was removed from deep within the infant’s throat, causing the airway obstruction.
The investigation determined Napier was the only person present at the time of the incident who could have placed the wipe deep in the infant’s throat.
Napier was arrested by detectives on Monday on the charge of manslaughter. He is being held at the Indian River County Jail on a $750,000 bond.