by Mike Donoghue
MILTON – Milton Police are closed-mouth about an 18-month-old child pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in a vehicle in a parking lot on Centre Drive last week.
The name of the dead child, the hometown, and other public details under the law surrounding the death were still being withheld by police one week after the death.
One initial report said the baby was found in a vehicle outside a medical office shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday July 24. It was unclear if the child had been there all day, or was parked elsewhere and then driven by somebody to the office to seek medical help.
MIlton Police, which is usually transparent, said this week they were not answering questions about the death. They were referring inquiries to the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations, which handles child abuse and sex crimes.
CUSI, after taking over as the lead agency, also has failed to release any public information about the death case. Milton Police said it was asked by CUSI not to share any information with the community.
It was unclear why the extra code of secrecy had been imposed by CUSI. Police in Vermont through the years have routinely provided at least basic information in death cases involving young children within a day or two.
The police silence in the case also prevents members of the public from coming forward to share information that could help investigators.
Milton did offer a brief press release the day after the incident, but had few details.
Milton Rescue responded to Centre Drive for an unresponsive, non-breathing toddler about 5:08 p.m. and rushed the child to the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMMC), police said.
Milton and South Burlington Police escorted the ambulance “in an effort to get the child to the medical center as fast and safe as possible,” Milton Police Chief Stephen Laroche said in the release.
“Once at UVMMC lifesaving measures were stopped and the child was declared deceased by Emergency Department doctors,” the chief said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Office are working with CUSI and Milton Police on the investigation.