Three months after the death of 4-month old Francisco Martinez Alcantar, family members were frustrated and said they were not getting any answers from Phoenix police.
"I have called over and over again, left so many voicemails for the detectives over and over again and have not gotten a call back. It makes me angry and frustrated that they're not doing what they're supposed to do," said Mariana Soto, Francisco’s aunt.
The case has been under investigation for more than three months, and court reports indicate that the babysitter, Diana Fernandez-Hernandez, admitted to police that she left the baby alone at home while attending her daughter's kindergarten graduation party with her boyfriend.
Police reports said that the baby was found unresponsive in a crib when the family got home a little over an hour later.
The child’s mother, Edith Jasive Martinez Alcantar, described her boy as a "happy baby" who was always laughing.
As a single mother who works two janitorial jobs, Edith said that she left her baby in the care of an unlicensed babysitter who came well recommended. Things went well for two weeks.
Edith said that she was working the graveyard shift on the day of the incident, but left early and headed over to the babysitter's place to pick up her son. She said that nobody was home and the doors were locked.
She talked to a neighbor, who is related to the babysitter. The neighbor told Edith that Fernandez-Hernandez left two older children with them and then left to go to a school function. The relative did not appear to know anything about Francisco, Edith said.
After waiting for more than 30 minutes, Edith said that Fernandez-Hernandez finally got home. Edith said that the babysitter would not allow her inside the home and denied having the child there at first, then came out of the house a little while later with the baby.
Edith said that she immediately knew something was wrong. The child was unconscious.
"His whole right side of the face was purple. He was purple. When I touched him, he was cold," Edith said as she sobbed.
Edith said she rushed her son to John C. Lincoln Hospital off Dunlap Avenue and Center Street, where he was pronounced dead.
Family members said there was emotional chaos at the hospital. Five police officers showed up, along with a translator and social workers. The police questioned Edith for about an hour, then spent almost two hours questioning the babysitter before questioning Edith again. Police then took the babysitter to police headquarters for further questioning.
ABC15 has looked through court records and found no charges filed against the babysitter. The family wants to know why. We've reached out to police for answers, but have not heard back.
