In a heart-wrenching event reported from Kansas City, Missouri, the mother of a 1-month-old infant has been charged with a grievous act of endangerment.
Jackson County prosecutors announced that the mother was accused of placing her child in an oven for a nap, a choice that tragically led to the infant’s death, rather than using a crib as intended.
Authorities discovered the infant’s body, responding to alerts of an unresponsive child. Upon arrival, they encountered the grim scene of a one-month-old with thermal injuries, indicating a dire mishap.
The complaint further details the scene, describing the baby found in a car seat near the front door, clad in a bodysuit that seemed to have melted onto the diaper, suggesting thermal damage. This distressing discovery followed a morning when the baby’s grandparents had left the home they shared with their daughter. Later, a frantic call from the child’s mother to her mother disclosed the unimaginable error of placing the infant in the oven.
Further investigations revealed that upon returning, the baby’s grandfather detected the smell of smoke within the residence, adding to the tragic narrative. Mariah Thomas, the child’s mother, allegedly confessed to the accidental placement of her daughter in the oven.
Facing severe legal consequences, Thomas has been charged with a Class A felony for Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree, resulting in Death. The charges carry a substantial penalty, ranging from a minimum of 10 years to a life sentence if convicted, reflecting the gravity of the offence and the loss of a young life.