3-Year-Old Killed After Teen Places Pillow On Her To Keep Her Quiet

Altamonte Springs, Florida -- A teenager in Florida was arrested for placing a pillow on her 3-year-old sister to keep her quiet while their mother was on a work call. Cops found the child unresponsive at an extended stay hotel in Altamonte Springs.

The mother and her children were staying at MainStay Suites on Raymond Avenue when the incident took place.

"Mom was home at the time. She was working from home," Officer Michelle Montalvo from Altamonte Springs police told WESH about the Friday evening incident.

The two sisters were in the living area while the mother was in the adjoining room, working with her phone and laptop. The older sister was meant to look after the toddler as the mother worked between 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The mother, who had to take a work call, also asked the teenager to keep the child quiet as she was being loud.

The teenager placed a pillow on her younger sister and walked out of the bedroom, only to return about 10 minutes later to find the child unresponsive, officials said.

After the teenager walked into the bedroom with the younger sibling in her arms, their mother called 911 to report an "unresponsive juvenile."

“She’s not breathing. She’s unresponsive. Her lips are turning blue,” she told a 911 dispatcher.

Responding officers arrived at the scene, and the child was rushed to the hospital where she was eventually pronounced dead, News 6 WKMG reported.

“The investigation is ongoing. However, the preliminary investigation revealed that the sibling, Charlise Bell, DOB 04/07/2006, had placed a pillow over her sister to quiet her down. When she returned to the room, her sister was unresponsive,” the Altamonte Springs Police Department wrote on Facebook.

"It's very tragic, it's a 3-year-old, a very young, young child. Sixteen-year-old is also young. A mother loses both daughters in one night because the 16-year-old was arrested that night," Montalvo said, according to WESH.

Officials told parents and caretakers to seek assistance from friends and family if they ever need a helping hand.

"If you feel frustrated, reach out to your resources, reach out to your family members, reach out to your village to prevent something as tragic as what happened this weekend," Montalvo told the outlet.

The teenager was arrested on manslaughter charges in connection with the sibling’s death.