Baby dies in day-care center

POLICE in the Special Victims Unit were investigating the death yesterday afternoon of a baby girl after caregivers at her Center City day-care center found her unconscious in a crib.

Cops said the 7-month-old was found unresponsive in a crib about 4:30 at the Apple Blossom Learning Tree Day School, situated in a two-story beige building on the northwest corner of 16th and Lombard streets. Medics rushed the infant to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, but she couldn't be revived, police said. She was pronounced dead just after 5 p.m.

A lone police cruiser was parked last night outside the center, which serves children ages 3 months to 5 years. About 7 p.m., construction-paper leaves decorated the front window of the school and the pastel-colored curtains were drawn, but lights remained on inside. A police officer went inside briefly, then left the scene.

A phone call to the school from this reporter went unanswered last night, and not much information about the company could be found online except a website created in 2010 for the school that had "coming soon" posted on several of its pages.

Police spokeswoman Officer Tanya Little said the Special Victims Unit generally investigates sudden deaths of children unless they are deemed homicides. She added that additional information would be released when authorities determine the cause of the baby's death.