Authorities are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine what caused the death of a 4-month-old baby found unresponsive at her north Minneapolis home Tuesday.
Relatives said it appeared that the baby had been suffocated, but authorities cautioned that the death investigation was still in its preliminary stages and would not speculate on a cause of her death.
"We'll do up the reports to see if it's something that will warrant going over to the county attorney's office," said police spokesman John Elder.
An autopsy is expected to be performed later this week.
The infant's mother, Shalynda Raino, called paramedics shortly before 9 a.m. after finding her daughter unresponsive on a couch, said William Jerrell Roland, the girl's grandfather. The woman tried to revive the infant, relatives said, but was not successful.
On Tuesday afternoon, family members and friends gathered at the home in the 2400 block of Emerson Avenue North to mourn her loss. Outside, several people hugged and wept.
A spokeswoman for the Hennepin County child protection services division declined to confirm whether the agency would launch its own inquiry into the death or whether the family had previously been investigated.
Roland said he had tried unsuccessfully to get custody of the baby because he feared for her safety at home.
"It just hurts me so bad," he said, "that I won't see that smile on her face."
Libor Jany
