A Miami-Dade County mother was jailed following a months-long investigation into the death of her 9-month-old baby, who died last year after ingesting cocaine and methamphetamine, according to the sheriff’s office.
On the night of July 2, 2024, emergency crews were called to an apartment in the Hammocks area, according to Natalia Munoz Paulino’s arrest affidavit. The baby was taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where doctors said he died at 10:39 p.m.
The apartment was filthy, with trash, old food, and used hygiene products scattered around, according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators said the home was unsafe for children, and that they had to step in when they saw the baby’s older sibling drinking baby oil without the mother’s intervention.
Munoz Paulino, 26, gave several conflicting explanations for what happened to her son, detectives say. She initially claimed she had fallen asleep while holding the baby and woke to find him unresponsive. Later, she told investigators the child hit his head while playing, then told the Department of Children and Families he drowned in a bathtub, and finally told the baby’s father he choked.
According to the affidavit, the baby’s father, who works out of state, told investigators that Munoz Paulino used drugs, including methamphetamine and cocaine, and that he had previously seen the substances in their home.
A medical examiner’s report determined the baby’s cause of death was child neglect, and ruled the manner of death as homicide. The autopsy revealed that the infant had eggshells, feathers and lethal amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine in his stomach. The report ruled out suffocation or choking.
Detectives concluded that the drugs were ingested, not passed through breastfeeding, because the baby was already eating solid food and formula.
Munoz Paulino was arrested on Monday and questioned by homicide detectives. She couldn’t provide consistent details about the hours before the baby’s death, sheriff’s officials say.
She faces a second-degree murder charge and was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
By MILENA MALAVER/Miami Herald
Milena Malaver covers crime and breaking news for the Miami Herald. She was born and raised in Miami-Dade and is a graduate of Florida International University. She joined the Herald shortly after graduating.
