The mother of a 2-month-old girl has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child after the baby's death earlier this year.

  • 2-month-old Xzayla Harris died in Lakeland in May
  • Brittany Harris, 24, will be extradited back to Florida
  • Police say mom had meth, cocaine, alcohol in system

The Lakeland Police Department said the incident occurred in May, but the mother wasn't arrested until recently because she had fled to Michigan.

Brittany Harris, 24, has been taken into custody and will be extradited back to Florida, police said Wednesday.

Officers responded May 27 to a home on Baird Avenue after receiving a report of an unresponsive child.

Harris, according to police, was drinking that night and left the child, Xzayla Harris, with a babysitter while she went to a strip club in Hudson. When the mother returned home, the babysitter left, police said.

"A friend of Harris later checked on Harris and found her in bed with Xzayla tightly wrapped in a blanket and between the legs of Harris," police said in a news release.

The friend called for help and got Xzayla away from the mother, but the child died hours later at Lakeland Regional Health.

Detectives said Harris admitted to being intoxicated and "not having a plan" to care for the child after the babysitter left.

A toxicology report about the mother showed she had methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol in her system hours after the baby's death, police said.

Harris was arrested Nov. 27 by the Sheriff's Office in Grand Traverse County.