Father initially refused medical treatment for other children after baby’s death
Details on condemned home after Big Lake baby death
Documents shed light on the conditions of a home that was condemned after a 6-month-old baby died from meningitis. FOX 9's Karen Scullin has the full report.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The parents of an infant who died of bacterial meningitis in a moldy and cluttered home in Big Lake last week did not initially cooperate when authorities tried to search their home or treat their other eight children, according to an emergency protective order.
Siblings removed from condemned home after baby’s death
The backstory:
The other children are all under the age of 13. They are now staying with relatives while police and Sherburne County Health and Human Services investigate.
No criminal charges have been filed.
The children were removed from their parents' care and the family’s home was condemned after police responded to a call of an unresponsive child on July 18.
The 6-month-old boy died inside the home from bacterial meningitis, according to the medical examiner.
Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It spreads through sneezing and coughing. Children under the age of two are most susceptible, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Big Lake baby death: County got at least 2 complaints
New details shed light on how authorities sent a "detailed plan" to the family in 2023 after getting complaints about "inadequate supervision" of their children. FOX 9's Karen Scullin has the full report.
What they're saying:
The county filed a petition for a Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) on Tuesday.
The father "initially refused to allow necessary treatment to mitigate the potential of meningitis for all the children," according to the petition.
Investigators were concerned about the health of the children because "some had open sores and did not look well."
Health officials were called after the baby’s death because of the living conditions inside the home.
They found grease splattered on most surfaces, mold on the bedroom ceilings, and "baby bottles in cupboards with old milk or formula in them."
It was difficult for inspectors to move from room to room because the home was so cluttered, according to the court filing.
Plastic, not sheets, covered the children’s mattresses which appeared to have bite marks.
The kids eventually received medical attention but were difficult to manage at the hospital because they were "highly dysregulated."
Baby dies, home condemned in Big Lake
Authorities condemned a home after a 6-month-old baby was found unresponsive inside. That child later died, and an investigation is ongoing. FOX 9's Mary McGuire has the full report.
What's next:
They could potentially be permanently placed in the custody of relatives or put into foster care if the parents’ rights are permanently terminated by the court, according to the filing.
This appears to be the first time Sherburne County Health and Human Services has filed for a protective order involving this family.
Parents of dead infant previously reported 'inadequate supervision'
What we know:
The county had previously received at least two other complaints about "inadequate supervision."
A family assessment was opened in June 2023 but the father refused to cooperate, according to the CHIPS petition.
"A consultation occurred, and it was decided a detailed plan would be sent to the family."
The family assessment was closed less than two months later.
The county tried to call the mother again after receiving another report that was "screened out" in April of 2024.
"A detailed voice message was left for her," according to the CHIPS petition.
What we don't know:
The court records do not indicate what steps were taken as part of the county’s previous family assessment or whether they attempted to inspect the family’s home.
FOX 9 reached out to Sherburne County on Wednesday morning for comment but has not yet heard back.
Neighbor says she complained to police, county prior to baby’s death
Timeline:
A neighbor told FOX 9 last week that she had repeatedly called police and child protective services about the children’s welfare.
"I have confronted them personally about it, but now that a child is dead, I feel like I could have done more," she said.
Police records obtained by FOX 9 show officers responded to a call for a welfare check at the home as recently as May 1.
Officers conducted another welfare check last year, around the same time the county received a report of inadequate supervision.
In the past three years, police responded to a civil complaint, as well as reports of a crime against the family and disturbing the peace.
Sherburne County previously accused of failing to intervene before child’s death
Dig deeper:
Sherburne County is currently being sued over allegations that it failed to intervene before an 8-year-old child was murdered inside an apartment in Elk River in 2020.
Autumn Hallow was repeatedly tortured before she was starved and beaten to death by her father and stepmother, who later pleaded guilty to her murder.
Kelcey Kruse, Hallow’s mother, filed a lawsuit the following year claiming police and child protective services in Sherburne County had previously been called to the Hallow’s apartment "20 or more times" for reports of child abuse.
Sherburne County should have filed a CHIPS petition but "negligently failed to do so" before Autumn’s murder, the lawsuit states.
That case is still pending.