A single mother of two has been arrested for investigation of child abuse resulting in death involving her 15-month-old daughter.
Michelle Pickett, 22, was arrested following her daughter’s death from unknown causes Monday night, said Virginia Lopez, Denver police spokeswoman.
Police were called at 7:20 p.m. to Decatur Place Apartments, 1155 Decatur St., run by Mercy Services, a Denver nonprofit that provides homes for single parents.
The girl was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Lopez said she could not describe the child’s injuries or how she received them.
Investigators interviewed the mother at police headquarters, she said. Lopez declined to say what explanation the mother gave for her daughter’s death.
Denver Department of Human Services placed Pickett’s other child, a 2-year-old boy, in protective custody, Lopez said.
Mercy Housing was providing counseling on Tuesday for residents of the 106-unit complex. News about the child’s death traveled quickly through the complex, where parents attend night classes and kids go to an after-school program. Many parents and children who knew Pickett and her daughter were distraught.
“I’ve been crying all morning,” said Kathleen Andrews, property manager of the Denver housing facility.
One mother who has three children, including a daughter the same age as the girl who died, left the building Tuesday morning crying, Andrews said. The woman’s children and Pickett’s played together in the hallways, Andrews said.
The residents become close as they help each other overcome common hardships while attending parenting and finance classes or working, Andrews said.
“It’s a close-knit group. They’re all trying to get on their feet,” she said.
Pickett moved into the apartments five months ago and recently was hired by a cleaning services company. Like all the residents, she has had her setbacks and troubles, Andrews said.
The toddler who died was tiny and very quiet, she said.
“She was just a sweet child,” Andrews said.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
