The latest arrest by Kansas City law enforcement officials stems from a disturbing incident that resulted in the death of a 1-month-old. Police say the baby’s mother put him down for a nap but mistook the oven for the baby’s crib.
Police responded to the home of 26-year-old Mariah Thomas Friday afternoon after receiving a call from her parents, who said she called them hysterical because the child was unresponsive, per ABC News. Police said the grandfather arrived home to the smell of smoke inside but found the baby limp in her crib.
When the police arrived, they saw the baby with burn wounds all over her body and her clothing melted onto her diaper. The Kansas City Fire Department responded to the home and pronounced the child dead on the scene.
Thomas told investigators she was putting the baby down for a nap but placed the child in the oven by mistake instead of the crib. It’s unclear whether the oven was already heated before the baby was allegedly placed inside.
“We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life. We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances,” said Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in a statement.
Thomas was charged with a Class A felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. She faces anywhere between 10 years to life in prison if convicted.
This case resembles the last time a mother put her baby in an oven: In 2023, 28-year-old Nakira Griner was sentenced to prison after admitting that she beat her 2-year-old son and discarded his remains by dismembering him and burning his body in the oven.
Thomas is still awaiting prosecution and an attorney.