Riverside High School teacher sentenced to 2 years probation in death of 5-month-old baby

Wakesha Ives, the Riverside High School teacher convicted of criminal negligent homicide in the death of her baby, has been sentenced to two years probation, according to court documents.

She was sentenced Thursday afternoon.

Ives’ 5-month-old daughter died on May 2013 when she was left in Ives’ SUV all day in the Riverside High School parking lot.

During Ives’ trial in September, the prosecution argued Ives failed to do her duty as a parent, and was guilty of failing to protect her child.

Defense Attorney Jim Darnell told jurors during the September trial that Ives was a “creature of habit” and would pack the baby’s diaper bag and drop off her two girls — 4-year-old Jayda at Holy Spirit Daycare and 5-month-old Janay at Miss Alicia’s Home Daycare.

Ives’ teen stepson Kendal was a student at Riverside High School and would ride with her to and from school.

Darnell said Ives’ high blood-pressure medicine affected her sleep and made her groggy, confused and tired. He said Ives had been under a lot of stress due to upcoming schedule changes was not sleeping well.

Darnell said even the school nurse and Ives’ husband James noticed she had health problems.

He then described what Ives said happened the day her child died. Darnell said Ives dropped off her Jayda at daycare then got breakfast at McDonald’s before heading workwithout dropping off Janay. When she returned to her SUV after work, Ives screamed and sobbed.

The medical examiner testified in September that the child died of environmental heat exposure after being left inside a hot vehicle.