Manslaughter trial underway for babysitter accused in toddler overdose death

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Jury selection wrapped up Wednesday morning in the manslaughter trial of Dixie Villa.
The court then moved right into opening statements.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tiffany Kaeo told the jury that Villa gave seven-month old Abigail Lobisch a fatal amount of Benadryl in February 2019.
Kaeo said the toddler was heard crying for awhile, then the crying stopped.
Villa was babysitting the child overnight, along with several other kids.
Kaeo said the child had two times the fatal amount of the allergy medicine, which is not recommended for children under the age of six.
Villa’s attorney, Megan Kau told jurors in her opening statements, that not one witness who is testifying will say that they saw her client administer any medication.
Kau said there was no evidence of Benadryl in a pill form, liquid or topical cream.
“We found no evidence of when it was given, whether it was days ago over a span of time,” Kau said.
The first witness to take the stand, a Honolulu police officer who responded to the unattended death call. He said Villa was cooperative and calm when he arrived.
Villa performed CPR after finding the toddler dead in her bed the next morning.
The trial continues Thursday and is expected to last a little more than a week.
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