A one-year-old Utah boy is dead after suffocating while under a bean bag chair at a daycare.
Leonardo Sanchez, 1, was days away from his second birthday when he died after what police are describing as an “unfortunate accident.”
“I want to know why my baby’s gone,” Leonardo’s mother, Danielle Sanchez, said to NBC affiliate, KSL News.
According to officials, Leonardo was playing with other kids at a daycare centre on Sept. 8 when he went to hide under bean bag chairs. That’s when it’s believed an adult – who Sanchez said is a worker at the centre – sat on one of the chairs.
“It was a pile of bean bags and he was stuck under it while a teacher sat on it to read a story for at least five minutes,” Sanchez explained to KSL News. “And when they pulled him out he wasn’t responsive.”
Leonardo later died.
Now, Sanchez is demanding answers.
“How many kids were in the room? How many teachers were watching them? Why wasn’t he kept track of? He’s not a small child, he’s two – he’s [going to] be two.”
Tom Hudachko, director of communications for the Utah department of health, said they are currently investigating the incident.
“We’ve had a licensor out this morning whose been inspecting the facility, and speaking with the staff and speaking with the owners.”
Still, Sanchez isn’t sure how something like this could have taken place.
“How could this happen? I didn’t expect to drop [Leonardo] off at a daycare to never hold him, have him kiss me back ever again.”
KSL News wrote that there is surveillance video of the event and it’s being reviewed by police.