A 22-year-old relative of a 6-year-old girl found frozen to death in the entrance of a Bemidji apartment building early Feb. 27 was arrested Friday in connection with the death.

Charges of second-degree manslaughter and felony neglect of a child are pending against the woman. The victim, Mercedes Mayfield, was found by police and emergency responders after her mother and a neighbor reported a medical emergency.

The girl was wearing a jacket, boots, hat and mittens when she was found. The temperature at the time was 27 below zero.

Bemidji police, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Beltrami County Sheriff, Beltrami County Social Services, the Beltrami County Attorney and Ramsey County Medical Examiner have collaborated on the investigation.

Bill McAuliffe