Police say 4-month-old Troy May Elaine Cohn was thrown to the floor at a licensed family child care home in Claremont.

CLAREMONT, Calif. — A 17-year-old boy remains in juvenile custody on a murder charge after authorities said he threw a 4-month-old girl to the floor at a home daycare in Claremont, causing injuries that led to her death at a hospital.

The girl, identified by police as Pomona resident Troy May Elaine Cohn, was injured June 29 at Middleton Family Child Care in the 1400 block of Lynoak Drive. Claremont police said officers were sent to the residence at about 11:38 a.m. after someone reported a medical emergency. Officers determined that a juvenile had thrown the infant to the floor, according to the department. Police have not released a detailed account of what happened before the emergency call, who witnessed the incident or what evidence led investigators to their conclusion.

Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel joined police at the home and provided emergency assistance. Troy was taken first to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Because of the seriousness of her injuries, she was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Orange County, where she later died. Police arrested the teenage suspect at the daycare and booked him at the Claremont Police Department Jail before he was moved to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. Authorities have not publicly identified him because he is a minor.

The Claremont Police Department presented the homicide investigation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on July 1. Prosecutors filed one count of murder after reviewing the case, police said. The teenager was arraigned July 2 at Pomona Superior Court and ordered to remain in custody. The case was transferred to juvenile court, where many filings and proceedings are shielded from public access. Officials have not released the allegation’s supporting evidence, the teenager’s plea or details about any defense presented on his behalf.

The teenager appeared in a Los Angeles County courtroom again July 17, according to the Claremont Courier. The District Attorney’s Office withheld further information because the accused is a minor, while Claremont police declined to discuss the continuing investigation. Police said they expected to provide another update when additional information could be released. No publicly available source reviewed for this report identified a future hearing date or showed that the court had decided whether the teenager was responsible for the charged offense.

Local reports, citing interviews with Troy’s parents and earlier television coverage, described the accused as a 17-year-old boy with autism. Police did not include an autism diagnosis in either of their public statements, and court records that might address his medical or developmental condition are not publicly available. The reported diagnosis does not explain the alleged conduct and should not be treated as evidence of motive, intent or criminal responsibility. Those questions are matters for the juvenile court and would depend on evidence that has not been made public.

Troy’s mother, Jasmyne Cohn, and father, Anthony Owens, said they believe their daughter was left without adult supervision with the teenager. They have blamed the daycare’s management for placing the infant in what they described as an unsafe situation. Their account has been widely reported, but police have not publicly confirmed who was supervising the children at the time, why the teenager was at the home, whether he had any role in the child care operation or how long he and Troy may have been together without an adult present.

Cohn said she was at work when she received a call directing her to the hospital. She later told KTLA that Troy had bruises on her body and a fractured head. Those descriptions came from the child’s mother rather than from a publicly released medical examiner’s report. Authorities have not issued an autopsy report, announced the formal cause and manner of death or provided a complete list of Troy’s injuries. Police have said only that she suffered severe injuries and died after being transferred to the Orange County hospital.

The parents have also questioned why a 17-year-old was present at a daycare they understood to serve young children. Law&Crime reported that the family believed the home’s child care program was intended for children no older than 8. Publicly available state information lists Middleton Family Child Care as a family day care home with a maximum capacity of 14 children. That capacity figure alone does not establish which children or other household members were legally permitted to be at the residence, and officials have not announced a licensing violation tied to the teenager’s presence.

California’s Community Care Licensing Division regulates family child care homes and makes facility information and inspection documents available through a public database. State guidance describes supervision as a central duty of licensed providers, but no agency finding released in this case has established whether the daycare operator violated a specific regulation. The criminal charge concerns the teenager’s alleged conduct. Any separate decision about the provider’s license, supervision practices or administrative responsibility would require its own investigation and findings.

The Claremont Courier reported that the home was later vacant and had been offered for lease. Toys and child care supplies were seen outside the property near a memorial for Troy. A property representative told the newspaper that the tenant who had operated a licensed daycare had received notice to leave. The former tenants declined an interview, according to the Courier. It remains unclear whether the program closed voluntarily, whether state regulators ordered any action or whether the property change was directly connected to a licensing decision.

The murder filing marks the most serious public development in the case, but it is an accusation rather than a finding of guilt. Juvenile proceedings generally place greater limits on public access than adult criminal cases, which may leave significant questions unanswered while the case is pending. The government must still prove its allegation through the juvenile justice process, and the teenager is entitled to a defense. No ruling on the truth of the murder allegation has been publicly announced.

Investigators have not disclosed whether surveillance video exists, whether other children or adults witnessed the incident, what statements were obtained at the home or what evidence prosecutors believe establishes the mental state required for murder. Police also have not said whether additional people or the daycare operator could face criminal charges. The available public statements identify one accused person and one murder count, while leaving the broader supervision questions raised by Troy’s family unresolved.

Police continue to seek information about the death and have asked potential witnesses to contact the department. As of July 31, the teenager remained publicly identified only by his age, and no conviction or juvenile-court finding had been reported. Troy’s parents continue to seek answers about the care she received and the circumstances that allowed the fatal encounter to occur.

Author note: Last updated July 31, 2026.