Infant found dead under ‘questionable circumstances’ in Spokane County home

An infant was found dead Monday morning under “questionable circumstances,” leading to an 11-year-old boy being placed with Child Protective Services while sheriff’s deputies investigate the cause of death.

At 7:17 a.m. Monday emergency crews responded to a report of an infant not breathing at a residence in the 19600 block of East Wellesley near Otis Orchards, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The parents had returned home from a party late Sunday night and fell asleep with the baby in the living room, the release said.

When the parents awoke, they found the infant not breathing and called 911. Responding officials encountered “dirty and filthy” living conditions in the home, the release said.

The conditions were “bad enough that we needed to call in Child Protective Services for the 11-year-old,” said Deputy Mark Gregory.

No charges have been filed against the parents. Results from the infant’s autopsy haven’t been released.