Mother Gets 3 Months In Jail For Daughter's Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 31-year-old South St. Paul woman was sentenced to three months in jail in the death of her infant daughter, after she fell asleep with the girl and suffocated her.

The Dakota County Attorney's Office charged Jessica Lee Grass with two counts of second-degree manslaughter in connection to the June 17, 2015 incident.

Police were called to Grass' residence, where they found her deceased 5-month-old baby, Vaida Rose Grass, lying on top of a bed near a pillow.

Grass initially told police that she laid her baby down on the bed and laid down with her briefly before leaving the child in the bed. However, she later changed her story and told police she had in fact fallen asleep with the baby and may have rolled on her, the complaint said.

Grass also admitted to using methamphetamine, Xanax and alcohol the day prior. A blood test confirmed the controlled substances were still in her system at the time of the infant's death.

On Friday, Grass was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 10 years of probation.

"Co-sleeping with an infant is extremely dangerous and that danger is significantly increased if alcohol and/or drug use is involved," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said.