Wickliffe woman charged in 2023 death of infant arraigned
Records show Krystal Krause previously pleaded guilty to reckless homicide following the death of another child in 2009.
LAKE COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - A 41-year-old Wickliffe woman was arraigned Tuesday in connection with the 2023 death of her infant son.
Her bond was set at $25,000, but the date of her pretrial is yet to be determined.
Krystal D. Krause was secretly indicted by a Lake County grand jury last week for reckless homicide and endangering children, both third-degree felonies.
The indictment, which was unsealed April 10, alleges Krause “recklessly” caused the death of her two-month-old son on Nov. 15, 2023.
According to police, the baby boy was found unresponsive at a residence on Ridge Road and was later pronounced dead.
Wickliffe Police told 19 Investigates the case was forwarded to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office for review and was presented to a grand jury last month.
Records show Krause was arrested on April 9 and booked into the Lake County Jail.
19 Investigates dug into Krause’s background and found this is not the first time she has been charged in the death of a child.
Court records show Krause previously served time in prison following the death of a three-year-old more than a decade ago.
In July 2009, she was indicted by a Summit County grand jury for involuntary manslaughter and endangering children.
As part of a plea agreement, the involuntary manslaughter charge, a first-degree felony, was later reduced to reckless homicide, a third-degree felony.
According to court records, Krause pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and endangering children in October 2009 and was later sentenced to two years in prison.
Krause is currently being represented by the Lake County Public Defender’s Office, court records show.
Multiple phone calls seeking comment on her behalf went unanswered last week.
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