A baby boy died in the Washington County town of Danforth early Friday, and the mobile home where his parents lived with him and his brother later caught fire and burned, according to Maine State Police.

The 5-month-old baby, named Mach-Danyel Richardson, died at a Danforth medical facility after being brought there by the child’s parents, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

A short time later, the family’s home on Weatherbee Street was reported to be on fire. The fire broke out after the family left the home, McCausland said.

The cause of the baby’s death is not yet known, although police said it was unrelated to the fire. An autopsy will be performed Saturday at the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta.

The parents of the child, Alan Richardson and Tabitha Osnoe, also have a 4-year-old son who lived at the home.

Fire investigators will try to determine the cause and origin of the fire, and state police, who investigate the deaths of all children under age 3, will try to determine the circumstances of the boy’s death.

Advertisement

McCausland said investigators believe it may take some time to determine the cause of the fire because of the extent of the damage.

State police, deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the circumstances of the death and the fire.

Danforth is located on Route 1 about 35 miles south of Houlton.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@mainetoday.com

Twitter: @Mainehenchman


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.