Metro Detroit Mom Pleads No Contest In Death Of Her 2-Year-Old

HOWELL, MI — A metro Detroit mother pleaded no contest last week to charges in connection with the death of her 2-year-old toddler last June.

Officers said the toddler found an unsecured gun and was accidentally shot inside a home in the 1900 block of Oak Squire Lane in Howell last June. Officials took the child to a nearby hospital where the 2-year-old died, police said.

Tonya Lacey, 42, pleaded no contest to second-degree child abuse in connection with the shooting. Although a no contest plea doesn't admit guilt, it is treated as a guilty plea for sentencing.

Lacey's sentencing date is scheduled for April 18. She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for the felony charge

Police said Lacey, the toddler's mother, was home at the time of the shooting, while the father was not. Police also said the gun used in the shooting wasn't connected to the father, who is a corporal with the Dearborn Police Department.