Dixie Denise Villa, a woman who operated an unlicensed daycare from a military base in Hawaii, has been sentenced to the maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Villa was convicted of manslaughter in November for the fatal poisoning of a seven-month-old infant in her care.
The child, Abigail, was the daughter of Anna Lobisch. Lobisch expressed her grief in court, stating that she will never hear her daughter call her “mama.” The tragedy occurred on February 23, 2019, when Abigail died from an overdose of diphenhydramine, an antihistamine found in Benadryl. Prosecutors emphasized that such medication should never be administered to children under six without a doctor’s prescription.
Villa had been running the daycare from a home on the Aliamanu Military Reservation, a military base on the island of Oahu. This was despite the fact that officials had shut down the operation multiple times. The death of Abigail marked a tragic end to Villa’s illicit operation.
Judge Faaunga To’oto’o, presiding over the case, underscored the severity of the crime. He stated that the amount of Benadryl found in Abigail’s system should not be given to any minor, let alone a seven-month-old baby.
Lobisch, speaking in court, shared the pain she has endured since her daughter’s death. She stated that her life has been defined by grief and loss, and the pain of living without Abigail is a burden she will bear for the rest of her life.
Villa’s defense attorney, Megan Kau, requested probation for her client. Kau argued that Villa, a mother of two, one of whom has special needs, was not a threat to the public. She contended that Villa’s children would suffer if their mother was incarcerated.
However, the judge sided with the prosecution, agreeing that the maximum sentence was appropriate given the gravity of the crime. Villa’s two children are currently in the custody of her ex-husband, an active-duty sailor.