Michigan woman whose 5-year-old son froze to death in park sentenced to probation

(CBS DETROIT) - A Clinton Township woman who pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter after her 5-year-old son was found frozen to death in a park has been sentenced to two years of probation.

The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office alleges that on Jan. 22, 2023, Derricka Fleming put her 5-year-old son to bed and left her apartment. During the early hours of Jan. 23, 2023, officials say Fleming's son left the apartment and wandered outside, where he was later found in a nearby park.

Her son was taken to an area hospital, where he later died.

Fleming, 26, pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges, a 15-year felony, in April 2024.

"While we respect the court's decision, our office firmly believed that confinement was warranted in this tragic case. We requested incarceration to underscore the severity of the crime and to seek justice for the loss of this young life. However, the court has chosen to impose probation instead," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido in a statement.