Baby’s death under investigation in Jones County

A baby’s death is under investigation in Jones County.

Preston Nelson, 21-months-old, was pronounced dead Tuesday at the Medical Center, Navicient Health, said Mathew Jarrett, a deputy coroner for Jones County,

The baby was taken to the hospital Sunday afternoon after an incident at Harveys Supermarket at the Gray Station Shopping Center on Clinton Street in Gray.

“What was described to me was the child was choking on a cookie, and the mother’s boyfriend had come into the store and said the child was choking,” Jarrett said.

“The mother came out, and was able to clear an airway. But he’d been without air for a period of time there where he was unresponsive and he was taken to Navicent Health and placed on a ventilator,” Jarrett said.

An autopsy was performed Friday morning, but the cause and manner of death are pending histology test results, Jarrett said. He declined to say whether there were any signs of physical trauma.

“It’s still an open investigation, so I really don’t want to go into that right now,” Jarrett said. “I don’t want to jeopardize the investigation.”

Gray police Maj. Chris Williams is investigating, Jarrett said. Williams could not be reached for comment.