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Woman Accused Of Sending Toddler To Daycare Alone With Lyft Driver Was Previously Arrested Following Newborn's Death
Years after Stephanie Goddu infant died in her care, she's been accused of endangering the welfare of two other children.
A New Hampshire mother is accused of endangering two of her children, including sending her 3-year-old to daycare alone using Lyft, years after facing similar charges in the death of her newborn baby.
Stephanie Goddu, 34, was arrested Wednesday for endangerment of the welfare of a child and resisting arrest, the Manchester Police Department announced.
The investigation into Goddu’s parenting began earlier that day when police were informed that two of her children had not been picked up from their daycare. Daycare workers were unable to reach Goddu, who is also the mother of a 3-month old baby.
Officers then went to Goddu’s home to check on her, only to find Goddu allegedly “incoherent and disoriented,” according to the police statement.
“The baby was found to be strapped to an infant carrier seat, and was wearing extremely warm clothing and a blanket,” police noted. “The carrier was not more than [six] feet away from a heater and there was concern that the child could overheat. The child was also found to be covered in urine”
Furthermore, police allegedly discovered that Goddu hired a Lyft driver to take her 3-year-old child to daycare alone two days prior.
“Both the condition of the infant and the unsupervised ride to day care were cause for police to charge Goddu,” police noted.
The charges are not the first time Goddu has been in trouble with the law.
Back in 2015, when she was known Stephanie Camelo, her infant child was found dead inside her apartment. She was charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of reckless conduct the following year, local outlet WMUR reported. The mother was allegedly found on the bathroom floor, drooling and with dilated pupils dilated at the time of the child’s death, according to a 2016 New Hampshire Union Leader story.
Authorities alleged that she often put the baby in the care of her 8-year-old daughter. She was also accused of putting a blanket over the infant's face on several occasions.
"As you're aware from the affidavit, it appears she failed to provide duty of care for her minor children,” prosecutor Carrissa Pelletier told a judge in 2016, WMUR reported. “This is a significant neglect to involve excessive drinking and tripping with an infant in her arms, causing injury.”
Goddu was arrested in 2019 on a breach of bail conditions charge and a bench warrant, Patch reported at the time.
Goddu was never specifically charged with her newborn's 2015 death. It’s not clear if she has an attorney.
