CHAMPLIN, MN – The quiet streets of a suburban neighborhood turned into the scene of a tragic discovery Friday, when police were dispatched to a home following a desperate 911 call. Inside, officers encountered a nightmare: an 18-month-old girl unresponsive and an adult woman exhibiting signs of a suicide attempt.
According to law enforcement, it was inside this Champlin residence that 23-year-old Maige Elizabeth Yang allegedly made a fateful decision after losing temporary custody of her young daughter. Authorities say Yang gave her daughter, De’Ali Blia Delgado, a bottle laced with a potent dose of sleep medication before attempting to end her own life.
The investigation began unfolding late Friday afternoon after officers responded to the home in the 11900 block of Castle Rock Court. Upon entry, they found the toddler not breathing, her lips discolored, as family members scrambled for help. Paramedics rushed both the child and Yang to the hospital, but efforts to save De’Ali proved futile. The young girl was pronounced dead soon after arrival.
Yang survived and, after receiving medical treatment, was taken into police custody. Hennepin County authorities have charged her with second-degree murder, and she currently remains held on a $1.5 million bond as the case moves through the legal system.
Interviews with Yang’s parents shed light on the events leading up to the tragedy. On the morning of the incident, a court hearing resulted in temporary custody of De’Ali being awarded to the child’s father. Yang is said to have returned home agitated and withdrawn with De’Ali, disappearing into an upstairs bedroom and locking the door behind her.
Alarmed by the silence and unable to gain entry, Yang’s father forced the door open to a harrowing scene: his granddaughter motionless on the floor, her fate already sealed by a dose of medication intended for sleep, not safety. He rushed her downstairs as the family dialed 911, but the child could not be revived.
Authorities report that after being advised of her rights, Yang admitted to investigators that she poured a large amount of sleep medication into her daughter’s bottle, hoping the child would fall asleep peacefully—a decision she said was meant to ease their pain after the devastating court ruling.
De’Ali’s death stunned those who knew her, including her father, who has launched an online fundraising campaign to cover funeral costs. In a message to supporters, he described his daughter as the center of his world, expressing heartbreak over losing her just hours after being granted custody.
The case has cast a pall over the Champlin community and raised difficult questions about how quickly a family crisis can spiral into irreversible tragedy. Authorities continue to investigate, while Yang awaits her scheduled court appearance on Feb. 10 to answer to the grave charges against her.
As the wheels of justice turn, those connected to the case are left to grapple with the enormity of the loss and to seek answers to questions that may never be fully resolved.