The mother of a toddler who died early Sunday morning in Denver was arrested in connection to the death alongside her boyfriend, police said.
Melissa Wayne, 38, was arrested Tuesday night and booked into the Denver Downtown Detention Center on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death, according to the Denver Police Department and jail records.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Wayne was being held on a $200,000 cash-only bail, according to court records.
Wayne’s boyfriend, 38-year-old Nicolas John Stout, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.
The arrests stem from the death of Wayne’s daughter, 2-year-old Valkyrie Erickson, police said. The toddler was found unresponsive early Sunday morning in the 100 block of Vrain Street and pronounced dead at the hospital, according to Stout’s arrest affidavit.
Man accused of killing Denver 2-year-old frequently heard yelling at, hitting child
Other people living in the home told police they often heard yelling and slapping noises coming from the room where Valkyrie, Wayne and Stout slept, according to the affidavit.
Wayne told investigators that Stout slapped Valkyrie at least twice on the day before her death, and that she heard sounds she thought were smacks at other times when she was not in the same room as the two, according to the affidavit.
The mother briefly appeared Wednesday morning in Denver County Court for an advisement hearing, and Stout’s case was transferred to Denver District Court on Tuesday. Neither of their next court dates was available.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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