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Baby Dies After Parents Were Drinking Alcohol, Smoking Pot, Sheriff Says

The mom and dad are facing serious charges after their child died while sleeping.

Richland County, SC (WLTX) - Richland County deputies have charged two parents with the death of their baby boy.

Deputies arrested Danielle Jeanette Elrod and Jason Noel Goodrich, both 26, charging them with homicide by child abuse.

Officers say back on November 5, they got a call of a suspicious death at the couple's home. When they arrived, they found the couple's three-month-old son unresponsive in the bed.

"We can't say this enough or express it enough to make sure that when you lay your child down, you lay them down in a safe environment, safe conditions, so that something like this doesn't happen. Alcohol doesn't have to be involved, drugs doesn't have to be involved for something like this to occur," Lieutenant Curtis Wilson said. "It's an unfortunate situation when this happens for the family because of the fact that they're losing a child, but again your heart goes out to that child that's no longer here because of a negligent act."

The coroner's office determined the boy died of asphyxiation from unsafe sleeping conditions caused by the parents. According to investigators, the two had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before lying in bed with the child.

The two turned themselves in Wednesday. If convicted, they'd face a maximum of 20 years in prison.

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