Woman charged with the death of 6-year-old cousin

A Minnesota woman has been arrested for the death of her cousin.

Rachel Downer, 22, has been arrested for the death of her 6-year-old cousin, Mercedes Mayfield, according to The New York Daily News.

Mercedes Mayfield was found outside of Downer’s apartment on the morning of February 27 by her mother and a neighbor, who immediately called 911, but it was too late for the girl.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The temperature went down to -40 degrees that night.

According to The Daily Mail, it is unclear how the child managed to get outside, but it seems she was there overnight and succumbed to hypothermia.

Authorities have said there was no recorded history of trouble within the family and they are working ‘tirelessly’ to form a timeline to establish when the child was last seen to when she was found, according to ABC affiliate KSTP.

Downer has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and felony neglect of a child.