Oakdale police arrest mom in connection to infant's death | Crime

OAKDALE, CA - A suspicious discovery during an autopsy into a baby's death lead to the arrest of her mother.

Oakdale police responded to a home on Obsidian Drive on Dec. 11 to reports of an unresponsive infant. When officers arrived at the scene, they found that the 44-day-old girl had died.

Initially, the infant's death appeared to be the result of SIDS, police said.

However, high levels of meth were found in the infant's system, according to the Stanislaus County Coroner's autopsy report that was released recently.

On Tuesday, police arrested Nicole L. Smith, 31, in connection to the baby girl's death. Investigators believe the infant ingested meth through the mother's breast milk.

Smith was booked into Stanislaus County Jail for child endangerment. Her bail was set at $1 million.