Authorities yesterday charged a 26-year-old Mililani woman with second-degree murder in connection with the death of her 7-week-old nephew last month.

Natalee K. Westbrook is accused of causing a head injury that led to the death of Maika Lawelawe-Westbrook on May 10. The boy is the son of Westbrook's sister, Jessica Westbrook.

Natalee Westbrook's bail was set at $150,000. She is scheduled to make her initial court appearance tomorrow. She was arrested Tuesday afternoon.

Police said the boy was found unresponsive on May 9 and was taken to a hospital for treatment. The boy died the next day, police said. An autopsy determined that Maika died of "intracranial injury due to abusive head trauma" and police classified the case as a homicide.

Jessica Westbrook yesterday said the past four weeks have been an emotional and difficult time for her and her family. She would not comment on her reaction to her sister's arrest.

She said some news media accounts of her sister's arrest were not accurate, but would not say what those inaccuracies were.

Natalee Westbrook is a 2001 graduate of Mililani High School. News that she is accused of killing her infant nephew surprised residents of the Makana Hale Cooperative apartments on Kipapa Drive in Mililani, where the two Westbrook sisters and their mother had lived until recently.

Colin and Kim Dela Cruz lived in the apartment next to the Westbrooks, and said they knew them as neighbors.

"I knew Natalee when she lived across from me," Colin Dela Cruz said. "She was nice. We used to talk story. We heard she turned herself in. Everyone here was surprised."

"We would never have thought this could happen," Kim Dela Cruz said. "Everybody was shocked."

Services for Maika Lawelawe-Westbrook will be tomorrow at Mililani Mortuary Mauka Chapel. Visitation begins at 9 a.m. Prayer service is at 12:45 p.m. Burial is at 1:30 p.m. at Mililani Memorial Park. Casual attire. Flowers welcome.