Parents Grieve Death of Toddler Allegedly Shaken by Daycare Owner

The parents of a Minnesota toddler who died after allegedly being shaken by a daycare owner are remembering their son as “a bundle of joy.”

“[He was] a bundle of joy. He was always smiling, was happy and realistically was the light of our lives,” Joe Cooper, the father of 1-year-old Gabriel Cooper, told the Star Tribune.

Gabriel died in a hospital on July 16, just two days after his first birthday, after a daycare owner allegedly shook him, causing fatal brain injuries. According to PEOPLE, a doctor had determined that the toddler’s injuries were consistent with “severe shaking,” and an autopsy found “traumatic injury to [Gabriel’s] brain, neck and eyes that is consistent with an acceleration-deacceleration injury.” Nonprescription antihistamines were also found in his bloodstream.

Home daycare provider Sylwia Pawlak-Reynolds, 42, is now facing two counts of murder for Gabriel’s death. A warrant for her arrest was approved Monday.

According to the arrest warrant, Pawlak-Reynolds told authorities that Gabriel had been crying on the morning of July 12. She claims left him in a highchair on her back patio with a snack and milk and returned shortly after to find the toddler limp and unresponsive in his highchair with his eyes closed and his tongue sticking out.

Pawlak-Reynolds called 911 and officers arrived to the house to find her attempting to resuscitate Gabriel, who was then rushed to a nearby hospital.

“All I know is that I left my son in her care, and a couple of hours later I was on the way to the hospital with him,” Joe said.

Gabriel had only been in Pawlak-Reynolds care for three days. His parents had chosen Pawlak-Reynolds to watch him because she had also looked after one of the toddler’s older sisters.

Pawlak-Reynolds lost her daycare license on Sept. 21. She has also lost custody of her two children.