Posted on: May 30, 2025 07:50 AM

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Queens baby died from SIDS not pit bull mauling parents reveal

A one-month-old baby girl found dead with severe facial injuries in a Queens housing complex last week did not die from a dog mauling, rather from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to her grieving parents and a preliminary medical report.

Little Kiyanna Winfield was discovered lifeless in bed by her mother, Lillian Burton, and stepfather, Christopher, early Tuesday morning inside their apartment at the Queensbridge Houses. Initially, police believed the infant was killed by the family’s six-week-old pit bull-German Shepherd mix named Bella, who was later euthanised.

However, on Wednesday, the New York City Office of the Medical Examiner confirmed the dog’s bites came after the baby had already died.

“We can confirm this is not a death from a dog mauling,” a spokesperson for the office said, adding that the cause of death is “pending further study to include a full pediatric workup.”

The family claim they had no idea their daughter had passed away until the devastating discovery that morning.

“Our baby was alive when we all went to sleep. That is the last thing we know,” said Christopher.

“Our baby died of SIDS… She also had medical issues. She had a heart murmur," the New York Post reported.