The State’s Office of Early Childhood has taken emergency action and suspended the child care provider license for the Norwalk home family day care under investigation following the death of a 4-month-old baby girl.
Christine Limone, the daughter of Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, has not been charged with a crime. State Police Western District Major Crime detectives are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death on Wednesday afternoon.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the autopsy of the baby girl is pending further study, meaning it could take up to eight more weeks until the cause and manner of death are determined.
NBC Connecticut obtained several past inspection reports from the Office of Early Childhood that reveal the state cited the day care for several violations this year.
The reports indicate Limone moved her home family day care to 9 Hunters Lane in August 2015.
On March 22 of this year, the Division of Licensing issued a notice of over-capacity after an unannounced inspection.
Limone’s license only allows her to care for six children total; two under the age of two. But the inspector found seven children at the home and three were under the age of two, according to the reports.
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The notice Limone received said “You failed to demonstrate good judgment about the supervision and safety for children when you failed to maintain your licensed capacity."
In the corrective action plan for her license, Limone wrote, “My assistant had an emergency which left me with 3 under 2, this was corrected when called a parent to pick up a child.”
The inspector who visited the day care in March also noted that the “provider slammed doors and used obscenities during walk through of upstairs of her home.”
A follow-up inspection in May found several hazardous violations, such as uncovered electrical outlets, a stairway with no gate and the water was hotter than the state considers acceptable.
On Wednesday afternoon at 1:31 pm, police and EMS personnel responded to the home day care because a 4-month-old baby girl was not breathing. She was rushed to Norwalk Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
State Police investigators are handing the investigation into the baby’s death at the request of Norwalk Police. The baby’s name has not been released.
On Thursday, Limone’s child care license was suspended and an administrative hearing is scheduled for Oct. 13 in Hartford.
NBC Connecticut has also reached out to Mayor Rilling multiple times, but he has not responded.
