A Kansas City mother is facing serious charges after claiming to have accidentally placed her one-month-old child in the oven instead of the crib. Mariah Thomas, 26, was initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child and death of a child following the February 9 incident. Last week, a grand jury added an involuntary manslaughter charge.
According to authorities, Thomas reported the incident, stating that while attempting to put her newborn down for a nap, she mistakenly placed the baby in a smoldering oven. Police arrived at the scene to find the infant unresponsive with burns, and the baby’s clothes had melted.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker expressed appreciation for the first responders and prosecutors handling the case, acknowledging the tragic nature of the incident. “We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances,” Baker said.
Thomas reportedly told an adult who lived in the home, “I thought I put (redacted) in her crib and I accidentally put her in the oven.” The adult had received a frantic call from Thomas before returning home.
Thomas has pleaded not guilty, and her trial is scheduled to begin on January 13.
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