St. Pete woman charged in death of baby at unlicensed day care

Arrest in child's death at unlicensed day care

FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia shares the why an arrest was made over a year after a child died at an unlicensed day care in St. Pete.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A woman faces charges, including aggravated manslaughter, after St. Petersburg police say she misrepresented herself as a licensed day care operator, and a 9-month-old boy died in her care.

The backstory:

Investigators say they responded to an apartment off Lynn Lake Dr. S on July 25, 2024, for a report of an unresponsive baby.

Police say Desiree Rentz, 31, was running a day care in her one-bedroom apartment with more than a dozen children, including 9-month-old Timothy David Smith.

The investigation revealed that Rentz gave cough syrup not recommended for children under 4 to Smith, resulting in his death, according to SPPD.

READ: Inside the nation's largest child recovery operation: What happens after 60 missing kids found?

Police also say Rentz claimed to be a licensed day care operator, but the licenses displayed on her wall were for temporary foster care with a capacity of one child.

Detectives arrested Rentz with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service and booked her into jail on Tuesday.

Timeline:

SPPD said it took time to get the toxicology reports back – which revealed the presence of cough syrup – and also to conduct interviews.

"One of the other things that made it a complex investigation is that a lot of the children at the home were relatives of the person providing the care," Halstead told FOX 13. "So certainly, as the detectives started their interviews and inquiries, it was a fine line between what information to share and then trying to figure out exactly what happened."

Rentz and the victim were not related, SPPD added.

What they're saying:

"I know it's the summertime and a lot of parents are relying on daycare providers because school is out. We don't want to see these cases," Halstead said. "We want our kids to be well taken care of, and the parents can really ensure that by making sure that the provider they're using is licensed."

For more information on childcare licensing, click here.

What's next:

Rentz faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and misrepresenting a day care facility resulting in death.

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The Source: This story was written with information from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

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