MONDAY UPDATE: Police said they were charging a man with manslaughter on Monday in connection with the death of Teneisha Tanya Milfort.
By JADE RUSSELL
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE grieving father of the three month-old that died while being cared for by a family friend is pleading for answers surrounding his daughter’s death, adding he feels “crushed” and “lost”.
“I feel like a lot of things aren’t answered because ain’t no one reach out to me. The police haven’t reached out to me. The mom doesn’t have a sensible answer for me. It’s like I’m just here and I don’t know what happened to my child,” Tenacyous Milfort, the infant’s father, said.
Teneisha Tanya Milfort died around 11am on January 16 while she was in the care of a family friend, while her mother was reportedly at work.
Police said a 29-year-old man, a family friend, believed the baby was asleep, but after a short while noticed the baby was unresponsive.
The baby was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Injuries were observed to the face of the three-month-old baby which resulted in the 29-year-old man being arrested.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, police said.
Mr Milfort said that he currently lives in Ohio for work, adding the only interaction he ever had with his baby girl was on video call.
“I feel lost right now, I feel crushed like my everything just got taken away from me,” he said.
Asked how he received the tragic news, Mr Milfort explained he was told by some friends and family members.
He said he was at a job orientation when he heard the news. The distraught father said that he moved to the United States to provide a better life for his only child but would call constantly to check on her, adding he still is searching for answers to her shocking death.
“I called every morning, any time when I had free time throughout the day. Mostly in the mornings and before I go to bed. Once I was free I would call and spend time with her on the phone,” he said.
Holding back tears, he explained his daughter would always look so happy to see him when he would video call the baby’s mother to speak with her.
“She was always smiling, responsive, and trying to move. She would reach for the phone, she was always looking at the phone.”
Mr Milfort expressed his frustration with being left in the dark in terms of investigations surrounding his daughter’s death.
“I’m still trying to figure out what happened. Obviously someone (is) hiding something,” he said.
Asked if his family in New Providence ever offered his baby’s mother help in watching their child, he said “yes”, his father had offered.
Mr Milifort added that his family was also devastated to hear the news.
He stressed that he wants answers and justice for his daughter, noting that he just wants to know what happened.
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