ST. PETERSBURG – Detectives with the St. Petersburg Police Department have arrested Desiree Rentz, 31, in connection with the death of a nine-month-old child under her care in July 2024.
On July 25, 2024, at approximately 1:46 p.m., officers responded to a call about an unresponsive infant at an apartment located at 5628 Lynn Lake Dr. S., in The Reserve at Lake Pointe Apartments. The child, identified as Timothy David Smith, had reportedly not woken from a nap.
Investigators determined that Rentz operated an unlicensed daycare from her one-bedroom apartment, where she cared for more than a dozen children. She had falsely presented herself as a licensed childcare provider. The Florida Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families confirmed Rentz did not possess a valid daycare license. The documents she displayed were for temporary foster care and allowed for the care of only one child.
An autopsy by the Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that the infant had been given cough syrup not approved for use in children under four years old. The administration of the medication was done without the knowledge or consent of the child’s parents.
Rentz was arrested with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service.
She is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and misrepresentation of a childcare license resulting in death.
The booking photo of Desiree Rentz is currently unavailable.