KANSAS CITY, Mo. (TCD) — Last week, police apprehended a 26-year-old mother suspected of fatally injuring her infant daughter by allegedly placing her into an oven.
According to a redacted probable cause statement released by the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, on February 9, Kansas City Police officers were summoned to a residence following a report of an unresponsive baby. Upon arrival, they discovered an adult holding the lifeless child. The 1-month-old victim displayed visible burn injuries, and despite efforts by the Kansas City Fire Department, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The probable cause statement reveals that the mother, Mariah Thomas, informed her grandfather that she had intended to lay her daughter down for a nap but mistakenly placed her in the oven instead of her crib. Subsequently, the grandfather alerted emergency services, who took custody of the baby upon arrival.
The infant was reportedly discovered in her car seat near the residence’s entrance, exhibiting thermal injuries across her body, with her clothing appearing to have melted onto her diaper. Additionally, investigators uncovered a baby blanket bearing significant burn marks.