Dead toddler's sister removed from home

DADE CITY

Dead toddler's sister removed from home

Less than a week after an 18-month-old girl died of bleeding in her brain, a judge Wednesday removed her sister from the family home in Wesley Chapel.

The Sheriff's Office is investigating the death of Ryanne Spohn, who died Friday afternoon after being rushed to a Tampa hospital for brain surgery.

Her father, Jeffrey Spohn, told investigators she fell from a baby gate.

Patrick Calcutt, Jeffrey Spohn's attorney, told Circuit Judge Linda Babb the parents had agreed to release custody of Macie Spohn, who turns 3 in July, to the girl's aunt and uncle. Babb found probable cause to remove her after reading an affidavit by a child protective investigator. She did not elaborate on the contents of the report.

Babb appointed a guardian ad litem to the case and granted Jeffrey and Heather Spohn visitation rights with relatives' supervision.