DOUGLAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Michigan State Police have now ruled the death of a little girl in Montcalm County as a homicide.
Vayda Vasquez would have turned 2 next month. Her grandmother, Tonia Rose, had sole custody of the baby girl. Vasquez's biological mother remains in jail while her father had visitation right's at Rose's discretion, according to the girl's grandmother.
"Vayda was the most amazing baby I have ever known," said Rose. "She was smart. She was soft and sensitive."
The little girl also referred to her grandmother as 'mama.'
"She was more than that. I mean, I am not her mom, but she was like one of my own," said Rose.
Rose says she learned something was wrong on Monday morning when she received a call from a friend who saw police at the home where Vasquez was at the time. Relatives previously told FOX 17 she was in being cared for by a babysitter on Monday morning.
"I learned that something had happened," said Rose. "One of my friends had drove by her house and called me and said, 'Something isn't right. There are a bunch of cops, you better get over there.' So five minutes I was there, and that's when I was informed Vayda was unresponsive, and they were unsuccessful in bringing her back."
The girl's funeral is being planned for this weekend.
"I see her face every time I close my eyes. I can’t sleep. I just sit and hold her toys," said Rose.
Other than declaring Vasquez's death a homicide, MSP has not released any details surrounding what happened to the girl or the exact cause of death.
