The death of an 18-month-old girl in Birmingham, Alabama, has now been ruled a homicide from blunt force trauma, reports reveal.
Ta’Leah Nicole Alexander-Burke died on September 26 after the child’s mother called an ambulance upon finding the child unresponsive, AL.com reported.
The child’s mother told police that she left the toddler with a boyfriend when she went to the store, but when she returned home, she found the child unconscious.
Little Ta’Leah was taken to a children’s hospital, where she was pronounced dead that afternoon.
Police began questioning people involved in the incident, but no arrests have been announced.
According to the local ABC affiliate, a neighbor had recently warned the mother of the murdered child that something was wrong. But the neighbor said the child’s mother did not seem to heed the warning.
“When somebody warns you, you need to look. You need to pay attention,” the neighbor said.
On Thursday, the Jefferson County coroner ruled the death a homicide by blunt force trauma. The police investigation into the death continues.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.