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State Shuts West Side Daycare Center After Baby's Death

CHICAGO (CBS) -- State officials have shut down a daycare center in the West Garfield Park neighborhood, after a 1-year-old girl died there earlier this week.

The child, Tyla Carter, of Cicero, was found unresponsive at the Family and Friends Daycare Center on West Wilcox Street, reports CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot.

The owner of the daycare spoke to CBS 2 off camera and says Tyla woke up around 7 a.m., had fruit and milk and played outside. She was a little irritable and took a nap around 11 a.m. She was checked every 15 minutes as is the rule and it was on one of those checks, the owner noticed Tyla wasn't breathing. She called 911 and started CPR.

The one-year-old was brought to Loretto Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

"That's a hurtin' feeling, 'cause, I don't know. That's crazy," said Felicia Herron, an employee at the daycare.

News of the death came as a shock to this employee. Felicia Herron started working at Family and Friends Daycare Center, about a week ago.

"This is a nice place. She takes care of the kids. The house is clean and everything. I'm surprised to even hear that anything's wrong with the place, or a little girl died," said Herron.

A DCFS spokesperson says: "A licensing division investigation looking at whether the center was meeting the standards of licensing care, led to the child protection division stepping in. That division, is now looking into allegations of death by neglect."

The spokesperson also says Family and Friends Daycare Center's current operating license was issued in May of 2012. The center had had no previous licensing violations. It is closed until the DCFS investigation is complete.

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