Mom who fell asleep on baby, killing her, not charged

(11-23) 13:33 PST SAN RAFAEL --

A Mendocino County woman will not face criminal charges for allegedly falling asleep while under the influence of drugs and smothering her infant daughter at a San Rafael homeless shelter, a prosecutor said today.

Melissa Lambert, 23, of Fort Bragg had been booked Nov. 9 at Marin County Jail on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and willful cruelty to a child causing injury or death. But prosecutors decided not to file charges, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Barry Borden.

The case stemmed from the death on Dec. 3, 2009, of Lambert's 9-week-old daughter, Leilani Adams. Police said Lambert was at the homeless shelter when she fell asleep while breastfeeding Leilani, rolled onto her and smothered her.

During an interview with investigators earlier this month, Lambert admitted that she had injected heroin less than 24 hours before Leilani's death, police said. Previously, an autopsy had determined that the baby had methamphetamine in her system at the time of her death.

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.