More details released in death of baby found in motel room floor

HALEYVILLE  -  The death of a five-month-old male infant, who was found on the floor while the father was sleeping in a motel room at Imperial Inn Tuesday, April 2, is under active investigation.
The baby’s father Dylan Dutton, 20, already was facing a felony warrant from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries that occurred in the Bear Creek area, noted Haleyville Police Chief Kyle Reogas.
In fact, Dutton was taken into custody by the sheriff’s office on Tuesday, April 2, on those charges at the emergency room of Lakeland Community Hospital, Haleyville, where Dutton had taken the infant after discovering it dead, Reogas said.
The Haleyville Police Department received a call at 8:03 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, from Lakeland hospital, indicating that a five-month-old infant had been brought to the emergency room, and the infant appeared to have been deceased for several hours, Reogas said.
The Winston County Coroner’s Office was also called to the E-R, where  Deputy Coroner Tracy Yealock pronounced the child dead, with cause of death pending an ongoing investigation.
That investigation is ongoing by the Haleyville Police Department and the Winston/Marion County District Attorney’s office to determine the actual cause of death, according to Reogas.
The infant’s body, he added, has been transported for evaluation at the Alabama Department of Forensic Science.
“The child was brought in (to the emergency room) by the father and the father’s female acquaintance or girlfriend, from the Imperial Inn motel,” said Reogas.
Based on preliminary evidence, the father and infant were at the motel,  and the girlfriend shows up, and that’s when the girlfriend wakes up the father and they discover the child unresponsive lying in the floor next to the bed, Reogas added.
Police do not have names on the girlfriend or the child, the police chief said.
“It’s a tragic incident and our thoughts, prayers and concern go out to the family  who has lost a loved one,” Chief Reogas noted.
“And regardless of how long you’ve worked in law enforcement, the death of an infant is more difficult to accept than the death of an older person,” the chief added.
“Our investigation will determine the cause of death, and if it was a natural or an accidental death or a death otherwise,” he continued.
“We are doing a thorough investigation to determine the cause of death of the infant.”
Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri also gave a special word on behalf of the baby’s family.
“It was just a terrible situation,” said Mayor Sunseri. “It's a tragedy, and we really don't know the circumstances.
“It's just sad a child lost his life,” Sunseri added. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”