By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-04 20:06:06 | Updated at 2026-08-04 22:36:35
2 hours ago
A 3-year-old girl with “a smile that could light up any room” died days after getting her head stuck in a play kitchen set at her babysitter’s Florida home.
Tragedy struck as little Briella Holmes and her sibling were playing at the babysitter’s home in the Meadows of Boynton Beach community in Palm Beach County on July 23, police said.
At some point, the babysitter left the home and their spouse looked after the young children.
The spouse remained upstairs, but periodically checked on the kids playing downstairs and brought them snacks, the Boynton Beach Police Department said in a press release.
During one check, the spouse found Briella with her head stuck in a kitchen play set, freed her and “began performing life-saving measures until first responders arrived,” police said.
The sibling told investigators that the 3-year-old’s toys had fallen into the play kitchen set and she got stuck trying to retrieve them.
Police rushed to the Boynton Beach residence after receiving a report that a child was unresponsive and not breathing.
The baby was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
Four days later, Briella was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Boynton Beach Police Department confirmed to The Post Tuesday.
The youngster’s death was ruled accidental by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner. She died of “probable positional asphyxia,” the coroner told The Daily Mail.
The tragic tot “was a bright light in the lives of so many,” her family said in a GoFundMe. “She had a kind heart, a beautiful spirit, and a smile that could light up any room.
“She touched countless lives with her love, laughter, and compassion, and the impact she made will never be forgotten,” the fundraiser read.
A spokesperson for the Boynton Beach Police Department said the investigation remains active and ongoing.
No charges have been filed in relation to the matter as of Tuesday.
