OEPLOUSAS — An Opelousas mother and father are left to grieve after burying their one-year-old son, Devante Amere' Lemon Jr. The infant died in late October while in the care of a babysitter.
A colorful video depicts family and friends singing Happy Birthday to Devante Amere' Lemon Jr, also known as DJ.
"And everything about him was beautiful inside and out; he was so happy, and he just loved attention," said his mother, Kenyetta Lafleur.
Lafleur says that day, September 21st, was perfect.
"Everybody loved DJ," his mother said.
It was the day everyone celebrated his first birthday.
"He meant everything to me," said Lafleur.
But it would be the last birthday celebration for his family.
On October 27th, his mother says she dropped baby DJ off at the babysitter.
Later that morning, court records show the St. Landry Sheriff's Office received a call about a baby who wasn't breathing. That baby was DJ. Court records continue to say the babysitter, Sarah Sonnier, left DJ alone, still strapped in his car seat, and despite hearing him making sounds, she did not return to the living room to check on him until two hours later.
That's when Sonnier found DJ slumped in his car seat... not breathing.
"I never knew that would be my last time seeing him, my last time holding him, kissing him," said Lafleur.
DJ's father says his son was very special to him.
"This is my first son and my only child; he was like the perfect baby," said his father, Davante Lemon Sr.
"Every day is hard, it's hard every day; he was 13 months, he was so sweet, so full of life, he meant no wrong, he meant no harm, he didn't deserve it," said Lafleur.
The St.Landry Parish Sheriff's Office booked Sarah Sonnier with one count of negligent homicide, but she has since posted bond and been released.
I did reach out to Sonnier to get her side of the story, but she told me she would have to get back to me on the matter.
