Springs woman sentenced to 36 years for death of toddler

A woman convicted in the death of a toddler was sentenced Monday to 36 years in prison plus 5 years of mandatory parole.

Melissa Jean Alexander pleaded guilty to child abuse that knowingly/recklessly caused the death of a one-year-old girl.

The toddler was unconscious and not breathing when rescuers were called to her home in the 900 block of Zamora Circle in November.

Alexander was dating the baby’s father who was military training in Fort Polk, Louisiana at the time of the abuse. The baby’s father, Matthew Strickland, said there were no warning signs that Alexander would ever be violent with his one-year-old daughter, Jocilynn.

The baby was taken to the hospital and died about a month later.