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Infant Dies After Being Found Unresponsive at Manteca Daycare. Owner Arrested
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By Anthony W. Haddad
Published 16 seconds ago on
October 27, 2025

Manteca police are investigating the death of a 4-month-old boy on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, who stopped breathing at a licensed daycare where the owner was allegedly intoxicated and later arrested.

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Manteca police are investigating the death of a 4-month-old boy who stopped breathing last week at a licensed daycare where the owner was allegedly intoxicated, the Manteca Police Department said in a statement.

Officers were called about 1:25 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, to a daycare in the 2300 block of Merlin Lane, where they found adults performing CPR on the infant, police said.

Responding officers and medics took over lifesaving efforts before the child was taken to an area hospital and later transferred to Oakland Children’s Hospital, where he died two days later.

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Police said there were no signs of trauma, and the cause of death is pending an autopsy.

Police: Daycare Owner Arrested for Felony

The daycare owner, identified as Roxanne Helus, was found intoxicated and arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment, according to police.

She was booked into San Joaquin County Jail and later released on bail. Authorities said additional charges are expected, including causing the death of a child under 8 years old.

Three other children and four adults were at the daycare when officers arrived. Police said the other children were checked and unharmed.

The daycare, named Cherished Years Daycare, is operated out of Helus’ home. Investigators are working with California Community Care Licensing, which oversees licensed daycare facilities statewide.

The infant, identified as Christian Olvera, was under the daycare’s supervision at the time of the incident, according to police.

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Anthony W. Haddad,
Multimedia Journalist
Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.

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