​South St. Paul Mother Sentenced in Death of Her Infant

A South St. Paul woman has been sentenced for the death of her infant daughter. The woman admitted to taking drugs and alcohol before co-sleeping with her baby. The infant suffocated to death.

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Jessica Lee Grass, 32, of South St. Paul, was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 10 years of probation for the death of her infant daughter on June 17 in South St. Paul.

Grass was charged with two counts of second degree manslaughter on April 27, according to a news release.

On June 17, South St. Paul police were called to the residence of Grass where they found a deceased five-month-old baby, Vaida Rose Grass, lying on top of a bed near a pillow.

Grass initially told police she had placed the child on the bed, laid down with the infant for approximately 20 minutes before leaving the child in the bed. She later changed her story and told police that she had in fact fallen asleep next to her infant daughter and that she may have rolled onto the infant or her arm could have been on top of the baby.

Grass also admitted to using methamphetamine and Xanax the prior day, along with alcohol.

A forensic analysis of her blood sample taken from her confirmed that these controlled substances were still in her system at the time of the infant’s death.

An autopsy of the infant identified the cause of her death as positional asphyxia.

"Co-sleeping with an infant is extremely dangerous and that danger is significantly increased if alcohol and/or drug use is involved,” Backstrom said.

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