A 23-year-old mother was charged with second-degree murder after police say she poured a “significant amount” of sleep medication into her 18-month-old daughter’s bottle and fed it to the child on Jan. 9, hours after a judge granted temporary custody to the girl’s father.
Maige Elizabeth Yang was booked into the Hennepin County Jail this week following her release from a hospital, where she was treated after what police described as a suicide attempt at the home. The toddler, identified as De’Ali Blia Delgado, was pronounced dead shortly after officers arrived at a residence on the 11900 block of Castle Rock Court in Champlin. Prosecutors say Yang admitted to administering the substance and said she hoped the girl would “pass peacefully.” A judge set Yang’s bond at $1.5 million. An initial appearance on the murder charge is scheduled for Feb. 10 in Hennepin County District Court.
Officers were dispatched around 4 p.m. Jan. 9 on a report of a child not breathing. Responders found De’Ali unresponsive on the floor and began life-saving measures before transporting her to a hospital, where she was declared dead. Family members told investigators Yang had returned home upset after a custody hearing earlier that day and took the child upstairs, locking the bedroom door. A relative forced entry and found the toddler with blue-tinged lips, according to police summaries. After Yang was read her rights, detectives say she acknowledged filling the bottle with sleep medication “to make the pain go away.” The charging papers do not name the product; toxicology results are pending.
Investigators said the sequence unfolded within hours of the custody ruling. The child’s father, identified in records as Erick Delgado, was granted temporary custody late that morning. In a message posted on a fundraising page, Delgado wrote that he had “finally won custody” at 11:30 a.m. and that by 4 p.m. “her life was gone.” Police said the mother’s parents were at the home, tried to check on the toddler and called 911 after forcing the door. A separate adult inside the residence was also evaluated for “medical distress,” authorities said. Detectives documented the scene, collected the bottle and other items, and interviewed witnesses through the evening.
The Champlin Police Department initially alerted the public earlier this month while searching for Yang and the toddler from a Dec. 28 disappearance; the pair were located and interviewed on Jan. 3–4, ending that alert. Officials emphasized that the homicide case centers on what happened Jan. 9 after the family court hearing. Hennepin County prosecutors filed one count of second-degree murder without premeditation, alleging intentional conduct that caused the child’s death. If convicted, Yang faces a presumptive prison term under Minnesota sentencing guidelines. The county medical examiner has not released a final cause and manner of death pending toxicology.
Castle Rock Court is a cul-de-sac of townhomes and single-family houses about 20 miles northwest of downtown Minneapolis. Neighbors described an afternoon scene of squad cars, an ambulance and crime-scene tape ringing a two-story home as officers and paramedics moved in and out. Police said the interior search focused on the upstairs bedroom and adjoining hallway, where investigators photographed the immediate area, recovered containers and took swabs from surfaces likely to have trace residue of the substance. Detectives also collected messages and other digital communications from phones inside the home to build a precise timeline from the custody hearing to the 911 call.
Authorities said they have not identified any co-defendants. The father was not present inside the home and is listed as the reporting parent in portions of the file. Court records indicate that a prior family-court dispute had been underway in the weeks leading up to the hearing, and that Friday’s order gave him temporary custody. Police said the charging decision came after Yang’s admissions, witness statements and preliminary lab findings on the bottle’s contents. Investigators have not disclosed the dosage they believe was administered. They said they will release additional details if the medical examiner’s office identifies a specific compound or concentration in toxicology reports.
In Minnesota, second-degree murder without premeditation covers intentional killing without planning. Prosecutors could seek an indictment as the case moves to district court, and a grand jury is not required for this charge. Yang’s bail includes standard conditions that prohibit contact with witnesses. Jail logs list her as held on the murder count with a court date of Feb. 10. Any defense attorney of record had not appeared in the public docket by midweek. Prosecutors said additional counts are possible depending on final forensic results and further review of interviews with family members present at the house.
The case has drawn intense interest in the Twin Cities, in part because of the custody timeline. Family-court proceedings run separately from criminal cases; judges can make emergency orders when presented with new information about a child’s safety or living arrangements. Authorities did not describe the specific factors that led to Friday’s custody ruling, and those records are typically confidential. Child-protection officials are monitoring the case as a matter of routine when a criminal charge involves a minor’s death, according to police.
Grief gathered online through the week as loved ones posted photos and remembrances of De’Ali. Delgado, the father, described his daughter as “my beautiful princess” and said he “fought [his] hardest” in family court before the ruling. Neighbors who walked past the home Monday said the street was quiet again, with only a strip of tape still fluttering on a fence. “It was shocking,” said one resident who asked not to be named. “We saw the lights and then heard what happened later.” A bouquet of flowers appeared near the mailbox by afternoon.
What happens next will follow typical steps in a homicide case. Prosecutors will present the complaint at Yang’s first appearance and could seek to maintain the current bond. Defense counsel can argue for a reduction and address initial discovery needs, including access to body-camera footage, forensic reports and transcripts of Yang’s interview. The medical examiner’s findings will be critical in setting out an exact cause of death and may shape any expert testimony regarding timing and toxicity. The court could set a date for a Rule 8 hearing and a later omnibus session to address evidentiary motions.
As of Thursday, Yang remained in custody at the Hennepin County Jail. Police said supplemental reports will be filed once toxicology is complete. The court calendar lists a Feb. 10 appearance in Minneapolis. Memorial plans for De’Ali were being arranged by family and friends.
Author note: Last updated January 15, 2026.