By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities in Middlesex County have announced the arrest of a woman following the death of a five-year-old girl in Robbinsville Township over the weekend.
According to a statement released by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, 36-year-old Raphaelle Register was taken into custody on Monday and charged with four counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Police were called to a Robbinsville residence on Sunday evening after receiving reports of an unresponsive child.
Officers arrived to find a five-year-old girl in distress, who was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton. Despite emergency efforts, the child was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, officials said.
Investigators revealed that Register had a legal responsibility to care for four children—two five-year-olds, an eight-year-old, and a twelve-year-old—at the time of the incident.
The criminal complaint alleges that Register left the children unattended and failed to provide sufficient food, nourishment, and necessary medical care, resulting in conditions that amounted to abuse and neglect.
An autopsy was conducted Monday afternoon by the Middlesex Regional Medical Examiner’s Office.
Officials stated that the cause and manner of the child's death remain under investigation pending additional testing.
Authorities have not yet released further details on the circumstances surrounding the case, which remains an active and ongoing investigation.