Minnesota Mother Pleads Guilty in Death of Her 18-Month-Old Child

Champlin, MN (MinnesotaNow) - A young woman from the Twin Cities area has entered into a plea agreement that calls for an aggravated sentence of up to 35 years in prison.

Twenty-four-year-old Maige Elizabeth Yang recently pleaded guilty to a charge of intentional second-degree murder for killing her 18-month-old child and then attempting suicide. The murder-attempted suicide occurred in Champlin in mid-January.

Police Responded to Medical Emergency

According to the criminal complaint i will n the case, police responded to a report of a child not breathing and found the toddler on the floor of the living room in Yang's home. Officers attempted to administer life-saving measures. The responding officers were also told that Yang was in distress and found her partially conscious in an upstairs bedroom.

Deadly Incident Followed Custody Hearing

The court document says the young woman's parents told investigators that temporary custody of the child had been granted to the victim's father during a court hearing. When they returned to the family's home, the parents told police Yang took the child to an upstairs bedroom and locked the door.

Her father later went to check on them and, after discovering the door was locked, forced it open and found the child on the floor with her lips turning blue. The criminal complaint says he then grabbed the baby and ran downstairs, where he called 911.

Mother Admits Giving Child Sleeping Medication

The court document indicates Yang later admitted to investigators that she placed a significant amount of sleeping medication into her daughter's bottle and fed it to her with the intent to end the child's life.

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Yang is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website. Resource information is provided for free as well as a chat message service. To speak directly to a professional, call 988. You are not alone and help is available. Every life is important.