The Kansas City, Mo. woman who was arrested after telling the police she accidentally placed her infant child into an oven instead of its crib months ago is now facing a new, much more serious charge in connection to the incident.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said police responded to home in Manheim Park after receiving a report of a non-breathing infant back in February. One witness said Thomas frantically called them to back to the house, where they lived, and was greeted with the smell of smoke, per the Kansas City Star.
Officers found a 1-month-old child with apparent burns and clothes that appeared to be melted off. The child was declared dead later that day.
Police said the mother of the child, 26-year-old Mariah Thomas, told them she was placing the child down for a nap and accidentally put the child in the heated oven instead of the baby’s crib.
She was originally charged with endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and death of a child. However, in bond review hearing Thursday, Thomas came into the courtroom shackled on her wrists and ankles to find a Jackson County grand jury decided to add first-degree involuntary manslaughter to her charges, per the Kansas City Star.
“We appreciate all first responders who worked this scene and the prosecutors who went to the scene in order to issue these charges. 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 Prosecutor Baker following the incident.
Thomas pleaded not guilty to the charges, per KMBC. Her trial begins January 13, 2025. She’s being held on a $100,000 bond according to jail records.