Uncle Charged in Death of Northeast Minnesota Baby

TOWER, Minn. (AP) — The uncle of a baby who was killed in a house fire in St. Louis County has been charged in the child's death.

A criminal complaint says 24-year-old Jesse Lee Bonacci-Koski was babysitting his 11-month-old nephew Bentley Joe Lewis Koski last Wednesday. The complaint says he told authorities he left the home in Tower to go buy drugs before a fire broke out and killed the child.

WDIO -TV says Bonacci-Koski is charged with second-degree manslaughter, possession of methamphetamine and auto theft. Firefighters found the baby's body in a crib after extinguishing the fire.

Bonacci-Koski told a judge in court Monday that he's unemployed. Bail is set at $200,000. Authorities have not released the cause of the fire but said it is not believed to be arson.