A Robbinsville township woman faces child endangerment charges after a 5-year-old girl in her care was found unresponsive and later died Sunday evening, authorities said.
Police responded to a Robbinsville home on April 27 after receiving a call about an unconscious child. First responders transported the girl to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Raphaelle Register, 36, was arrested the next day. She faces four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey said her office filed a motion to detain Register pending trial.
According to the criminal complaint, Register had a legal duty to care for four children: two 5-year-olds, an 8-year-old and a 12-year-old. Prosecutors said she left all of them unattended.
The complaint further alleges Register failed to provide food, medical attention, or proper supervision. Both 5-year-olds, authorities said, showed signs of neglect, including a lack of nourishment and untreated medical needs.
The Middlesex Regional Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Monday. Officials said the cause and manner of death remain undetermined pending further tests.
Register remains in custody. No further information has been released.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.