Mother explains baby’s death; detectives assigned to case

YOUNGSTOWN — The mother of a 5-month-old baby who died this morning told police she woke up next to the infant and discovered a yellow plastic bag over the girl’s face, reports show.

Police who were sent to 2606 Hunter Ave. on the South Side at 7 a.m. first spoke to the baby’s grandmother, who had been asleep upstairs when her daughter, 18-year-old Rashanda Weaver, came up holding 5-month old Raniya Royal and yelling that the baby was not breathing.

The grandmother, Lynette Wesley, 42, started CPR and told her daughter to call 911. Wesley told police that when she turned Raniya over blood came from her mouth. The grandmother continued CPR until paramedics arrived.

Weaver said she’d been sleeping in the basement with Raniya next to her. Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, said the death is under investigation and two detectives have been assigned to the case.