LEWISTOWN - A Bratton Township woman who ran a licensed day care out of her house and was charged in connection with the death of a 1-year-old boy, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to involuntary manslaughter and obstruction of justice.

Charges against Connie L. Narehood, 55, were filed in September after an investigation into the July 8 death of Zayden Scott Reeves, who was under her supervision on the day in question.

According to court documents, Reeves was dropped off by his mother around 9:30 a.m. at the day care center. Reeves was discovered to be unresponsive shortly after 10 a.m. by Narehood, who initially said that she placed Reeves in a playpen where she later found the child.

In July, Mifflin County Coroner Daniel P. Lynch said Reeves died as a result of mechanical asphyxiation.

According to court documents, police interviewed a 12-year-old who was allegedly at the day care center on the day of the incident. Police said the 12-year-old stated that Reeves had been placed in a playpen by 9-year-old who then placed a board on top of it in an apparent effort to contain the child and additional objects were placed on top of the board to secure it.

"These kids are not responsible for this in anyone shape or form ... if she didn't do it, it was done with her direction," Mifflin County District Attorney Steve Snook said in September when Narehood was charged.

The infant apparently attempted to push the board out of the way in an attempt to get out, and it fell on top of him. It landed on his neck and pinned him against the Pack 'n Play, ultimately causing him to die of asphyxiation, documents indicate.

Narehood initially told police that the child was in an adjacent room from the kitchen, but it was later discovered that child was in the basement of the residence, unattended at the time of the incident, police said.

Narehood's attorney, Shawn M. Curry said on Tuesday that his client has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation and had "voluntarily surrendered" her day care license when the investigation first began.

"Basically we believe the plea and its terms are appropriate under the circumstances ... (Narehood) did not act with malice, or ill will, or a cold heart; this was an accident and we will address all issues appropriately at the time of sentencing," Curry said.

Curry said that under the terms of the plea agreement his client would be given a "standard range sentence," which Snook said could mean a state sentence for Narehood.

Snook said the judge who sentences Narehood will have a wide array of options available and there is no agreed upon sentence between the attorneys, only an agreement that the sentence fall with in the guidelines of a standard range sentence.

Narehood remains free on $50,000 unsecured bail and is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2009.