A babysitter in Hawaii has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter following the tragic death of a 7-month-old baby. Dixie Villa received the maximum sentence for manslaughter, according to local outlets, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, KHON2, and Hawaii News Now. The sentencing of the babysitter took place in court on Wednesday, May 7.
Dixie Villa Receives Maximum Sentence
Villa was charged with manslaughter in 2019 after an autopsy report found that 7-month-old Abigail Lobisch died from diphenhydramine (an antihistamine found in Benadryl) toxicity. Lobisch was found dead in the babysitter’s home on February 24, 2019, five months before Villa was charged with manslaughter.
Anna Lobisch, Abigail’s mother, addressed the Oahu Circuit courtroom, “My life has been defined by grief, loss, and the pain of living without Abby is a heavy weight I will carry every single day for the rest of my life. My heart has never stopped hurting.” Tiffany Kaeo, Deputy prosecuting attorney, said at the sentencing, “This drug should never be given to any child under the age of 6 without a doctor’s orders.”
Villa’s defense lawyer, Megan Kau, argued that others, including Abigail’s parents, could have given the infant the lethal dose of the drug. She also claimed that Anna could have had the drug in her system from using Tylenol and passed it down to her daughter, per the Star-Advertiser. Kaeo countered that Dixie Villa was the only person capable of administering the drug and that she had a lot on her plate with looking after three other kids at the same time.
Villa had been looking after Abigail’s 2-year-old brother and her two kids under five years old. Reportedly, Villa had been running an illegal, unlicensed childcare out of her Aliamanu Military Housing home. In addition, neighbors had voiced complaints of neglect. She has been free on bond since 2019, but following her guilty verdict in November, she was taken into custody after her bail was increased to $500,000.
Kaeo called for the judge to impose the full sentence in the courtroom. She said, “The defendant (Villa) could have easily called Anna that night to take back her children, and she didn’t. She made a choice, and now she should have to deal with the consequences of her choice.” Kau asked for a lesser sentence of 10 years so that Dixie Villa could continue caring for her two kids.
After a contentious trial of disputed testimonial accounts and claims of withheld evidence, A Circuit Court clarified that he couldn’t ignore the medical evidence presented in the case. Steve Alm, Prosecuting Attorney, said, “The family waited six years for justice. Our keiki are vulnerable and those who care for them should be held accountable when they harm them.”
Final Thoughts
Kau said, “Ms. Villa has remained arrest and conviction free, she’s been a contributing member of our community, and she was the mother of a special needs child and another child that she cared for on a full-time basis. After the sentence was handed down, Dixie Villa was taken back into custody; there was a sense of relief from the other side. Anna said, “I’m so relieved that it’s over. I’m happy with what happened in there.” In other news, wrestling legend Sabu unfortunately passed away at just 60 years old.
While Villa begins serving her sentence, prosecutors expect Kau to file an appeal against the Dixie Villa conviction. “I strongly believe that we have legal basis to overturn the conviction and ask for a new trial,” Kau said. In other news, week 4 of the Karen Read trial got underway.Â
