A young New York mother is facing murder charges after suffocating her infant son to death by wrapping him in a sheet and waiting hours before taking him to the hospital, DNAinfo reports.
Nicole Kelly, 22, reportedly told investigators that she was having trouble raising the 11-month-old alone. "I reached my breaking point; I didn't want him anymore," she told police, according to the report about her son, Kiam Felix Jr.
Kelly reportedly wrapped the baby in a sheet and watched him struggle to breathe before leaving him alone. She returned half an hour later to find him blue but still waited for hours before taking him to the hospital.
Despite her actions, Kelly has publicly mourned for her son on Facebook, the news site notes, writing in a status a day after the incident, "Missing my baby boy so much wish there was some way I could bring him back to life. I feel horrible knowing he passed away Am his mother I was supposed to protect him I know his spirit will always be around me I would never forget my 1st Born he will forever remain in my heart & his family hearts."
According to DNAinfo, a medical examiner has not yet confirmed the cause of death, but all signs point toward the mother's story.
“This is a truly disturbing case of a mother accused of intentionally killing her helpless 11-month-old infant son," District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement, according to the site. "The defendant is now facing serious charges that could lead to her spending the rest of her life behind bars if convicted.”
Kelly's roommate, who remains unidentified, told DNAinfo that when she returned home on the day of the death, Kelly was walking around the apartment anxiously before bringing out the infant, who was dressed in white.
"I asked her, 'What's going on? Tell me. Is the baby going to get baptized or something?' " the roommate told the news site. "He had a little white vest, little white dressy pants.”
Kelly admitted that the child had not been breathing for about three hours.
"I called the ambulance right away," the 24-year-old roommate said. "I checked the pulse. The baby didn't have [a] pulse."
"It was already late," she added. "She didn't call the ambulance. She didn't call nobody."
Read more at DNAinfo New York.