Sarasota couple arrested in connection to death of 8-month-old

The child was reportedly found unresponsive and was taken to Doctors Hospital by a friend and Nicholas Alexander, the child's father.

SARASOTA, Fla. — A couple was arrested in connection to the death of their infant daughter back in May, a new release from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office explains.

At around 5:12 p.m. on May 31, deputies responded to a house in the area of Interstate 75 and Bee Ridge Road on reports of an 8-month-old dead.

The child was reportedly found unresponsive and was taken to Doctors Hospital by a friend and Nicholas Alexander, the child's father.

Deputies say they were able to figure out the baby was in the care of Carissa Alexander, the mother of the child, when she was found face-down on couch cushions inside the house.

While investigating, authorities realized the child wasn't checked on from 10:30 a.m. to about 4:45 p.m. when the father returned home from work.

"Nicholas and Carissa Alexander were detained, and search warrants were executed for blood and urine samples as both showed signs of impairment during questioning," the sheriff's office explains in the release.

An autopsy revealed the 8-month-old had been dead for several hours and also tested positive for lethal amounts of fentanyl, deputies report.

Nicholas and Carissa Alexander are each charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and are being held without bond at the Sarasota County Correctional Facility.

SCSO arrested a local couple in connection with the death of their infant daughter on 5/31.

At approximately 5:12 p.m., deputies responded to a residence in the area of I-75 and Bee Ridge in reference to the death of an 8-month-old.

News release here:

— SarasotaSheriff (@SarasotaSheriff) June 23, 2023