Hamilton woman accused of smothering infant daughter is latest charged in a young child’s death

A Hamilton woman was in court this morning facing charges she smothered her 3-month-old daughter while allegedly under the influence of drugs.

It is the latest area case involving the death of a young child.

Prosecutors in court documents claim Saralin April Walden, 25, of Jeff Scott Lane, rolled onto her daughter, Rae'Anna, who died in October 2018 of “positional and compressional asphyxia.”

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In April, Cody Colwell, 27, of Clearcreek Twp., was indicted by a Warren County grand jury on two counts of murder, felonious assault, and two counts of endangering children related to the death of Cayden Colwelll, a 2-month-old infant found unresponsive at home earlier in April. The baby died on April 16.

Babysitter Lindsay Partin, of Hanover Twp., was found guilty on April 12 on involuntary manslaughter and three counts of child endangering, in addition to a murder charge, after 3-year-old Hannah Wesche collapsed on March 8, 2018, at her Shank Road home. She's scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, and she faces life in prison for the murder charge with parole eligibility after 15 years.

A Butler County grand jury in early March indicted Walden for a pair of felony charges, involuntary manslaughter and child endangering. Days after the indictment, Butler County Common Pleas Judge Charles Pater set her bond $50,000 at an arraignment hearing.

Walden is accused of rolling over on Rae'Anna while asleep on Oct. 23, smothering her. The infant was pronounced dead five days later at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors claim Walden was using “illegal substances either at the time of or within close proximity to the time of her caring for her child, and passed out and/or fell asleep on top of the infant suffocating the infant," according to court documents filed last month.