Florida Grandmother, Tibina Louissant Arrested in Connection with Infant's Tragic Death



In Florida, a grandmother got arrested in connection with the August 2022 death of an 11-month-old child, according to local police.

Tibina Louissant was taken into custody by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit last Friday, according to a warrant statement reviewed by PEOPLE.

The warrant alleges that Louissant was looking after her grandson, Josiah Fenelus, during the weekend of the incident. On the morning of August 21, 2022, officers responded to a home in Oakland Park, Florida, regarding an infant who had become "unresponsive." Tragically, Josiah was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

A police investigation was initiated, and in October 2022, the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that the child had a "lethal concentration of the powerful antihistamine cyproheptadine" in his system, as stated in the warrant. 


Cyproheptadine, which can only be legally used with a doctor's prescription, is an antihistamine that can also be utilized for appetite control and appearance enhancement, as per the Food and Drug Administration.

Toxicology tests from earlier this year showed that baby bottles found in Louissant’s home tested positive for cyproheptadine. After a final autopsy in August, Josiah's death was determined to be a homicide, with "cyproheptadine toxicity" listed as the cause.

Louissant, who told detectives that she was the sole caregiver for Josiah, is now facing a charge for aggravated manslaughter of a child. She was released on bond on Saturday, with the report stating that the bond amount was $50,000 and no attorney's name was listed in Broward County Court Records as of Monday afternoon.

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