Dad Arrested After Leaving Baby to Suffoc@te While Chatting with Friends Online

A 26-year-old Minnesota father has been arrested and charged in connection with the tragic death of his 10-month-old son after the infant was left unattended under a weighted blanket for several hours.

The father, identified as Omni Maxx Morningstar, was arrested on Monday following the incident, which occurred last October at the family’s home in Mankato.

According to police reports, the infant, Remington, was placed down for a nap but was not checked on for approximately five hours.

Authorities allege that Morningstar remained in a separate room during that time, wearing headphones and communicating with friends online. During this period, the child’s body temperature reportedly rose to 104.7 degrees.

He later told officers:
“I’m thinking in my head, like five hours, huh,”

“I really do wish I would have checked on him.”

According to the complaint, Morningstar said he put his son down for a nap at around 11 a.m. on October 1, 2025. He contacted emergency services after discovering the child unresponsive and overheated beneath a weighted blanket at approximately 3:55 p.m.

First responders attempted life-saving measures, but the infant was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Investigators further revealed that the child’s sleeping area contained multiple weighted blankets, with a combined weight of nearly 20 pounds.

Morningstar reportedly told authorities that his son had a history of fevers and colic, which had led to several hospital visits. He stated that he began using the heavy blankets months earlier in an attempt to keep the child calm and limit movement.

Additional concerns were raised after the child’s mother informed authorities of a previous incident in which the father allegedly left the baby unattended and fully covered with a large blanket. She claimed he had admitted to forgetting about the child while playing video games.

A medical examiner later determined that the cause of death was likely asphyxia due to compression from the weighted blanket.

Morningstar has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. He is currently being held at the Blue Earth County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on April 16.

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