Local News
Investigators Keeping Mum in Death of 2-Year-Old
Investigators said they were treating the incident as a “death investigation,” but revealed little else, including what killed Miracle McDougald.
Posted — UpdatedSPRING LAKE, N.C. — Unanswered questions Tuesday night surrounded the death of a 2-year-old Harnett County girl.
Investigators said Miracle McLean’s mother’s boyfriend rushed the girl to the Anderson Creek Fire Department’s station, but she was pronounced dead at Womack Army Medical Center after emergency workers rushed her there.
Investigators said they were treating the incident as a “death investigation,” but revealed little else. They said they had received autopsy results Tuesday from the state Medical Examiner’s Office to explain why the girl died.
They had said the girl was in cardiac arrest when the boyfriend, who they said is 24 years old but whose identity they have withheld, arrived at the station about a mile from her home. The boyfriend was cooperating in the investigation, deputies said.
At the Waffle House restaurant where Miracle’s mother, Sheteka McDougald, worked, there was only sympathy and a desire to help. Co-workers put out a donation box to help with funeral costs.
It shows a picture of Sheteka and her two girls, and a note calls Miracle's death a tragic accident.
“I don't know the exact circumstances, but she lost a child — and no one should lose a baby,” said customer Victor Rich.
Harnett County sheriff’s deputies were talking with neighbors Tuesday and trying to build a time line to account for what happened.
“It's terrible. I'm really sad about that,” said Kace Cox, a neighbor who lives near the McDougald home on Jersey Lane.
Neighbors said the news hit them hard.
“People are just saying it's a shock. One day you see them playing, and the next day they're gone. It's just a shock,” Stevie Chance said.
At the Waffle House, regular customers like Victor Rich call it a terrible loss.
“I know she works real hard,” Rich said, “and this just makes a lot of us sad.”
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