An autopsy determined that a one-month-old baby who died in a New York City apartment was not killed by a dog, contrary to initial suspicions.
Kiyanna Winfield was declared dead at the Queensbridge Houses complex in Long Island City on Tuesday morning.
At first, NYPD investigators suspected the newborn had been mauled by the family’s 6-week-old pit bull and German Shepherd mix puppy.
The girl’s mother reportedly told cops that she had been sleeping between her parents in bed when they awoke to find the dog gnawing on her face.
When police arrived, Kiyanna was unconscious, with “a substantial portion” of her face bitten off.
However, a medical examiner determined that she did not die as a result of the dog bites.
“The cause and manner of death are pending further study following the examination today,” a spokesperson for the New York City Office of the Medical Examiner told The New York Post on Wednesday. “However, we can confirm that this was not a dog mauling death. The dog inflicted postmortem injuries.”
Winfield’s official cause of death is “pending further investigation,” which will “include a full pediatric workup,” according to the spokesperson. There have been no charges filed as of Thursday.
When the incident occurred Tuesday morning, neighbors in the apartment complex reported hearing “piercing screams of a mother in anguish” echoing throughout the building.
After learning of the girl’s death, neighbor Shanel Norville told NBC New York, “That’s really sad. “I feel bad for the mother.” Norville added that she had rarely seen the puppy on a leash.
Two additional dogs, including a pit bull, were discovered inside the home. According to the New York Daily News, the NYPD removed the young pit bull mix puppy from his home and transported him to an Animal Care Centers of NYC shelter on Tuesday evening. The animal was reportedly quarantined for 10 days due to rabies.
Kiyanna was born just one month ago, on April 13. The New York Post published photos of the baby sleeping in a hospital and what appears to be the family home in the weeks leading up to her untimely death.
Yvette Mathurin, whose late son was an ex-boyfriend of Kiyanna’s mother, described the family’s joy at the birth. Following the death of her own son, Mathurin remained close to the girl’s mother.
“She promised to come and see me,” Mathurin told the New York Daily News. “She said she would bring the baby. She was extremely excited. She adores kids and children.
“Everybody was shocked to hear what happened.”
