Abigail Lobisch; Dixie Villa.
Credit : GoFundMe; Court TV
NEED TO KNOW
*A babysitter in Hawaii has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars following the death of a 7-month-old baby girl, who was given a lethal dose of Benadryl, according to local media reports
*Dixie Villa received the maximum sentencing for manslaughter on Wednesday, May 7
*The sentencing came after Abigail Lobisch was found dead at Villa’s home on Feb. 24, 2019; an autopsy showed she died of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine found in Benadryl) toxicity
A babysitter in Hawaii has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter following the 2019 death of a 7-month-old baby girl, according to reports.
On Wednesday, May 7, Dixie Villa received the maximum sentence for manslaughter, per local outlets the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, KHON2 and Hawaii News Now.
Villa was charged with manslaughter in July 2019 after an autopsy report showed that 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch — who was found dead at Villa’s home on Feb. 24, 2019 — died of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine found in Benadryl) toxicity, PEOPLE previously reported.
The infant’s mother Anna Lobisch broke down in tears while addressing the Oahu Circuit courtroom on Wednesday, per KHON2.
Abigail Lobisch.
Credit: GoFundMe
“My life has been defined by grief, loss and the pain of living without Abby is a heavy weight I will carry every single day for the rest of my life,” Anna said, according to the outlet.
“My heart has never stopped hurting,” she added, via Hawaii News Now.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Tiffany Kaeo told the court of Villa’s sentencing, “This drug should never be given to any child under the age of 6 without doctor’s orders,” per the outlet.
While on trial, defense lawyer Megan Kau argued that others, including Anna or Abigail’s father, could have given diphenhydramine to the infant. She also said Anna could have had the drug in her system from taking Tylenol and passed it on to her daughter while breastfeeding, the Star-Advertiser stated in November while reporting on the guilty verdict.
But Kaeo said Villa was the only person capable of administering the drug and that she was overwhelmed at having to look after three other children at the same time — Abigail’s 2-year-old brother and two of her own children, who were also under the age of 5 — and had pacified the older kids with iPads and Abigail with the drug, the Star-Advertiser previously noted.
Villa had been free on bail since 2019, but was taken into custody following her guilty verdict in November after her bail was raised to $500,000, the outlet reported at the time.
Dixie Villa.
Credit: Island News
On Wednesday, Kaeo urged the judge to impose the full sentence, saying, “The defendant could have easily called Anna that night to take back her children, and she didn’t. She made a choice, and now she should have to deal with the consequences of her choice,” KHON2 reported.
Villa’s attorney, Kau, asked for 10 years probation so that her client could continue caring for her two young children, the outlet stated.
“Ms. Villa has remained arrest and conviction free, she’s been a contributing member of our community and she was the mother of a special needs child and another child that she cared for on a full-time basis,” Kau said, according to KHON2.
“Six years is a long time to wait for justice and while justice has been delayed, we hope this is not justice denied,” Kaeo said, per the outlet, which stated that prosecutors noted they’re expecting an appeal.
Circuit Court Judge Faaunga Toʻotoʻo said, “This was a difficult trial. The facts and the law here is clear. This should not have happened,” according to Hawaii News Now.
Toʻotoʻo continued, “These are the factors that the court has to consider, as well as what is appropriate, and the only sentence that stands out for this case is that the defendant must be sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment,” per the outlet.
Regarding the sentencing, Anna said, “I’m so relieved that it’s over. I’m happy with what happened in there,” KHON2 reported.
The Hawaii State Judiciary and Villa’s attorney during the trial didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
