Trinidad and Tobago: Police investigate death of 4-year-old girl after choking in Sea lots

Trinidad and Tobago: Investigators are probing the death of 4-year-old Jemima Bonaparte, who died by choking on an unknown object, Thursday evening while stepfather went into hiding.

According to police reports the tragic incident took place around 5:38 p.m. on October 9, as the 4-year-old girl of Pioneer Drive, Sea lots was brought into the Mt. Hope Hospital after she was found unresponsive while at her home.

Reportedly, unresponsive Jemima was then  rushed to the hospital Thursday evening, but despite all efforts from medical personnel to resuscitate her, the 4-year-old was unresponsive and later declared dead at 6:07 p.m.

According to doctors reports, the 4-year-old had reportedly swallowed an object that blocked her airways, leaving her to choke to death before being found by her stepfather Tyrell Williams, lying unconscious. Police report that no signs of violence were detected on Jemima’s body.

Jemima’s stepfather claimed that he contacted EHS after realizing Jemima was not breathing, although following Jemima being pronounced dead, the police report that they attempted to contact Williams for further questions but they were unable to find him through contact nor his address.

Jemima’s family members were reportedly the ones who assisted the police to identify the scene where the incident took place, for Crime Scene Investigators WPC Dillon and PC Sam of the Port of Spain Crime Scene Unit to process the scene.

The police further stated that they made efforts to contact Jemima Bonaparte’s biological parents but they were unsuccessful.

For now the authorities report that the body of little Jemima has been transferred to the hospital’s mortuary for a  pending post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. Investigations are ongoing, and Homicide Region One has been notified.

Citizens of Trinidad and Tobago have taken to Facebook to express their shock and grief over the news with one user writing, “SO DANN SAD. My condolences to her family. Rip.”

While another citizen raised concern over the missing parents and wrote, “Where are BOTH BIOLOGICAL PARENTS!!”