Woman, teen mom charged following infant's suffocation death

A judge set bail at $250,000 today for a woman accused of holding her hands over her 3-week old granddaughter's mouth to stop her crying last week in Englewood. The baby’s death one day later was declared a homicide by suffocation and the infant’s mother, 14, was also charged,
Pamela Davis, 39, of the 5900 block of South Loomis Boulevard, was booked into Cook County Jail today after a judge set her bail at $250,000.
Davis, the victim’s grandmother, was charged with endangering the life and health of a child, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin. Conklin said the infant’s 14-year-old mother was also charged with endangering the life and health of a child, but her case was taken over by juvenile authorities.
Davis, who is the baby’s paternal grandmother, is expected to appear in court again on Sept. 10.
An autopsy Saturday found Emonie Beasley-Brown, of the 3900 block of South Wells Street, died of suffocation and her death was ruled a homicide.
About midday on Wednesday, Aug. 15, Emonie was believed to be inside Davis’ house in the 5900 block of South Loomis Boulevard with her 14-year-old mother, who had been reported missing.
When police arrived at that house, the occupants allegedly refused to allow the officers inside.
As police knocked on the door, Davis suggested the mother to take the baby and hide in a crawl space and “instructed her to keep the baby quiet” because “she did not want to go to jail,’’.
But the baby began crying and Davis climbed into the crawl space, accidentally hitting the baby about the head with her knee.
Davis then allegedly held a hand over Emonie's face for 10 minutes and when she removed her hand, the baby was crying even louder so she allegedly "placed both hands over her face and applied pressure for about 20 minutes,'' .
Davis handed Emonie to her mother, who noticed Emonie’s nose bleeding so she carried the infant south through an alley to a home in the 6000 block of South Bishop Street and handed the child to someone else. A call to 911 was made from that home.
Officials said the 3-week-old girl wasn't breathing and had no pulse when paramedics arrived. Family members at the scene said she had fallen.
Emonie was taken to University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital in critical condition. The child's mother was seen being taken from the scene in an unmarked squad car.
At 10:35 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, Emonie was pronounced dead after suffering from "prolonged cardiac arrest" and lack of oxygen to the brain.
Davis was one of three people were initially investigated for obstructing the police.
State child welfare authorities said Saturday they were investigating allegations of abuse against the child's mother and paternal grandmother.