A 47-year-old woman has been charged with the death of a toddler left in her care.
Mary Spence told Atlanta police on April 3 that the 17-month-old boy had hit his head, cried and then calmed down. Spence put the child down for a nap and when she returned to check on him, she saw that the child had thrown up and was unresponsive, Sgt. Curtis Davenport with Atlanta police said.
The toddler was transported to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Hughes Spalding, where he died, Davenport said.
On April 4, the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office determined the child died of severe head trauma and ruled the death a homicide, Davenport said.
An arrest warrant was issued for Spence's arrest on April 12, Davenport said. Two days later, she was arrested in Albany as a fugitive. Spence was extradited to Atlanta on Monday and booked into the Fulton County jail, police said.
A spokesman for the Albany jail said Spence also faces charges for violating her probation. Spence's criminal history includes three prior sentences in state prison, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
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