11-mo-old dies in fall from Minn. apartment window

Scene of the toddler's fall
Skyline Towers is a 24-story housing development in St. Paul, along Interstate 94, just west of Lexington Parkway.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

By AMY FORLITI
Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. - An 11-month-old girl who died after falling from a ninth-floor apartment in St. Paul had been playing with other children on a bed near the window before she tumbled to the ground below, police said Wednesday.

Authorities were still piecing together what happened, but St. Paul police Officer John Keating said no criminal charges were expected.

"It just looks like it was really a tragic accident," he said.

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The girl was identified Wednesday as Ilhaan Hassan. She did not live in the building but was visiting. Keating said her family was in the process of moving from Arizona to Minnesota.

The incident happened Tuesday evening. Paramedics rushed Ilhaan to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Authorities said Ilhaan and other children were playing on a bed, which was pushed up against the wall right below the window. Several adults and children were in the apartment at the time.

Anthony Parker was on the playground outside the building with his two young daughters when he saw Ilhaan fall. He told the St. Paul Pioneer Press he saw children "leaning back and forth out of the window" then heard a "loud smack," and saw the baby unconscious and lying on the playground. Parker told the newspaper the screen was ripped open.

Keating said when police arrived, the window screen was unattached from its frame in some areas.

"We know that's the condition we found it in after the accident. At this point, we haven't determined if it was the result of the accident," he said. "We did recover the screen. We're going to take a look at it."

By Wednesday, the playground that had been surrounded by crime tape was cleaned up, and only a scrap of the yellow tape remained on the ground.

The building is owned by Skyline Tower Limited Partnership and is managed by CommonBond Housing. A spokeswoman for Skyline said in a statement that an annual recertification inspection was conducted as recently as July 14 on every unit in the building, and the screens were intact.

Skyline spokeswoman Deb Sakry Lande said the windows in the apartments have safety locks that are not easily accessible to children and the screens do not open. Other safety measures are also in place on windows. She said damaged screens are replaced when brought to management's attention.

"Staff continuously reiterates verbally and in writing the importance of reporting damaged screens to management," she said. CommonBond was contacting every apartment again to ask residents to report issues that need attention.

Licensed social workers were also being made available to residents who need support after the tragedy, she said.

The 24-story apartment complex contains 504 units and primarily houses East African immigrants. Of the 850 residents in the building, roughly 200 are children. The building serves primarily low-income residents is part of the Section 8 federal housing program.

Keating said police unfortunately see incidents like this on occasion.

"Open windows can certainly present a hazard, especially during the warm weather months," he said. "It's a hazard we should all be aware of, especially when children may be nearby."