Inset: Natalia Munoz-Paulino (Miami-Dade Corrections). Background: Apartment in the 8000 block of SW 147th Avenue in Miami where a 9-month-old died after ingesting drugs (Google Maps).
Munoz-Paulino faces charges of second-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. According to an arrest affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, detectives from the Miami-Dade Police Department were called to a hospital on July 2, 2024, where the infant was pronounced dead.
Subsequent investigations led officers to Munoz-Paulino’s residence on SW 147th Avenue. The apartment was described in the affidavit as being in a state of disarray, with clothing, old food, trash, and used products littering the floor. Officers at the scene also intervened to stop the deceased child’s sibling from consuming baby oil.
Munoz-Paulino initially told authorities she had fallen asleep while holding her son and awoke to find him “purple, unresponsive, and stiff.” However, her narrative reportedly shifted when recounting the incident to investigators and family members, citing various scenarios including a fall, drowning, and choking.
The suspect mentioned that her son frequently put foreign objects in his mouth, a detail supported by the autopsy findings. The examination revealed eggshells and feathers in the child’s stomach, with the cause of death determined to be a fatal overdose of cocaine and methamphetamine. The manner of death was ruled as homicide due to child neglect.
The suspect also told detectives that her son was prone to placing foreign objects in his mouth. An autopsy discovered he had eggshells and feathers in his stomach. The cause of death was lethal amounts of cocaine and meth while the manner of death was homicide by child neglect.
Cops arrested Munoz-Paulino on Monday. Post-Miranda, she admitted to using drugs on the weekend of her son’s death while hosting a party at her apartment. The boy’s father said he lives out of state and had previously seen the suspect use meth at the apartment.
Munoz-Paulino remains at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond. She pleaded not guilty.
