Liquor found in bedroom where baby died

MERIDEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A woman accused of causing the death of her niece while babysitting her in December appeared before a judge Tuesday, and it wasn't the first time she'd been in court.

It was an emotional day in Meriden Superior Court. 34-year-old Lisa Figueroa wept as she faced a judge, while the baby's mother did the same across the room.

Figueroa, who needed a hearing aid to listen to the proceedings, faces two counts of risk of injury to a minor for the December 2011 death of her niece at her Meriden home.

To view the arrest warrant click here .

She told police she fell asleep feeding the baby and when she woke up she found her wedged between the mattress and head board . When police arrived they found nips of liquor on the bedroom floor.

The same nip bottles which were found on Figueroa's bedroom floor are also sold at a nearby liquor store.

According to the affidavit, video surveillance shows that she leaned her bicycle up against the front of the store, went inside, and bought the nips there.

News 8 discovered Figueroa faces the same charges involving her own children, who the state says were left to run around a public park with a pond while she was passed out in a car.

When police were called it took them over three minutes to wake the defendant up. There were beer bottles and cognac bottle within the automobile. She appeared to be highly intoxicated at the time.

No one answered at Figueroa's home, but a neighbor said she has seen police there before.

"It's very disturbing," the neighbor said. "I didn't think...I just thought it was an accident. I really did."

Still Figueroa is being held responsible.