Updated: Zwolle woman charged in son's death

ZWOLLE – The mother of a 19-month-old Zwolle toddler who died after becoming wedged in a car window has been charged with negligent homicide.

Deunka Lynch, 26, was booked into the Sabine Parish Jail on Feb. 10, according to Zwolle Police Chief Daniel Thomas. She was released on a $5,000 property bond, according to information provided by Sabine Parish sheriff's spokesman Joe DeWil Jr.

State police assisted in the investigation and "made the determination for us to arrest her," Thomas said.

"The investigation turned up what we believe to be criminal negligence," District Attorney Don Burkett said.

Lynch's son, Robert, died Sept. 21 after being taken off life support. An autopsy determined he died of positional asphyxia from being trapped by the neck in the rear window of Lynch's vehicle.

Robert was initially hospitalized on the night of Sept. 20 night after a 911 call was made to the Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office reporting him as unresponsive. Zwolle police arrived first and performed CPR until Med Express Ambulance got on the scene.

The child was transported to Sabine Medical Center then flown to University Health in Shreveport, where he was placed in the pediatric intensive care unit. The decision to end life support was made after no brain activity was detected.

Lynch told Zwolle police she had been at a family gathering earlier in the day on Sept. 20 and when she left she put her son unrestrained in the back seat of an Oldsmobile Bravado. As she drove to another relative's house in Zwolle she reportedly told police she did not notice what her son was doing in the back seat.

Once Lynch stopped the car, however, she found Robert's neck compressed by the rear window and his head protruding outside. She had to restart the vehicle in order to lower the window and free Robert, former Police Chief Marvin Frazier told The Times in September.

Lynch is additionally charged with a child passenger restraint system

violation and a traffic offense for not having a valid driver's license.

Lynch is scheduled to be arraigned April 30 in Sabine District Court. If convicted of negligent homicide, Lynch faces a prison sentence of two to five years.

Twitter: @vawelborn