Roseville Mother Arrested In Death Of 2-Year-Old Girl

A Roseville woman has been arrested on suspicion of homicide in the death of her 2-year-old child.

Police arrested 37-year-old Denise Marie Wilder early Thursday morning in the death of her daughter, 2-year-old McKinley Wilder.

Police and fire personnel were called to a home in the 300 block of Diamond Oaks Road around 5:07 Wednesday night for report of a child not breathing. The nicely kept home belongs to McKinley’s grandparents, who were out of town.

Police say Wilder was intoxicated and due to suspicious circumstances surrounding the girl’s death, she was arrested on suspicion of homicide and child endangerment. Police aren’t releasing how the young girl died pending autopsy results.

“I’m pretty shaken up,” a mother walking her children, including her own 2-year-old, in the neighborhood said Thursday. “I can’t imagine, especially in this neighborhood. It’s such a family-friendly, family-oriented neighborhood.”

A family friend had gone to the home looking for Denise Wilder and found her along with McKinley and Denise’s other child, a 5-year-old girl. Police were then called for a report of a child not breathing. CBS13 learned on Thursday that Denise Wilder had been reported missing Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m. Police aren’t saying who reported her missing or why she was reported missing.

Wilder is being held in the Placer County Jail without bail. The 5-year-old, Kennedy, has been placed with other family members.

Police were searching Wilder’s Roseville home on Thursday. She rents the home and is a single mother after she and the girls’ father divorced shortly after McKinley was born, according to a neighbor.

A Facebook post attributed to the father, Mark Wilder, reads: “McKinley is no longer with us. Kennedy is now with me. The police have taken the suspect into custody. I cannot say anymore…and sadly, I don’t know anymore, except Kennedy is one scared little 5 year old that misses her baby sister. She found Mickey.”

People who knew wilder say she and her husband split up after Mckinley was born.

On her twitter account, the mother talks about cuddling on the couch with her girls, taking them on a trip to the bay area and Disneyland.

Then, the tweets suddenly stopped, 14months ago.

“They’ve been really quiet, like I don’t ever see them come out of the house, or any of that,” said next door neighbor George Valergas. Source: Sacramento CBS Local