Prosecutors have charged a 17-year-old boy with murder in the death of a four-month-old baby girl in Claremont, California. The infant, identified as Troy May Elaine Cohn, was allegedly thrown to the floor inside a home that was operating as a daycare. The incident occurred on June 29 shortly before 11:30 a.m. at a residence on Lynoak Drive.
Claremont police responded to a medical emergency call and found the infant with severe injuries. She was transported to Pomona Valley Medical Center and later transferred to Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where she succumbed to her injuries. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has formally charged the teenage suspect, who is a minor and has not been publicly identified, with murder.
The child's parents, Jasmyne Cohn and Anthony Owens, expressed anguish and are demanding accountability from the daycare. Cohn stated that her daughter had bruises all over her body and a fractured head. "I lost my daughter due to the negligence of this daycare," she told KTLA. "He should not have been in a daycare with children. Not just my child, any child."
The circumstances surrounding the 17-year-old's presence at the daycare remain unclear. The facility is reportedly intended for children aged eight and under, and the baby's parents believe the teen may have been attending the daycare while under its owner's supervision. The baby's grandmother, Andrea Holcomb, questioned how such a tragedy could occur in a childcare setting.
Family members have launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral and legal expenses. The fundraiser description states, "Jasmyne’s world was shattered when her four-month-old daughter lost her life in a tragic incident at a daycare facility. No parent should ever have to face such unimaginable pain and heartbreak."
Claremont, a city of approximately 37,000 residents, has historically experienced a low homicide rate, making this incident particularly shocking to the community. The investigation into the death is ongoing.