Unresponsive baby at Mount Shasta campsite dies, and sibling is in protective custody

A 7-month-old boy was found unresponsive Friday morning near Mount Shasta and later died, Siskiyou County officials said.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office is considering criminal charges.

The baby’s mother had slept in a tent with a companion the previous night, while the baby and his 2-year-old sibling stayed in a nearby vehicle, the release said. They were staying at the Twin Arrows Campground near Mount Shasta, according to a news release. Both are from out of state.

The baby was unresponsive when the mother reached the vehicle Friday morning.

A sergeant who arrived on the scene performed CPR on the baby for five to 10 minutes, but the baby was pronounced dead later in the day at Mercy Medical Center in Shasta County, the news release said.

The Shasta County Coroner’s Office has not determined the cause of death pending toxicology and other tests.

The mother and her companion were interviewed and released Friday. However, the incident is still under investigation, and the Sheriff’s Office said it is looking into child neglect charges.

“In such cases, child neglect, child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter charges are typically reviewed for applicability, based on the evidence and outcome of the investigation, since indicators of actual physical abuse are not apparent in this case,” the news release said.

The baby’s 2-year-old sibling was taken into protective custody.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 530-841-2900.