Representative image of an infant in a crib.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
In a gruesome incident, a one-month old infant burned to death recently in United States' Missouri after the mother of the baby "mistakenly" put her down to sleep on a hot oven thinking it was her child's crib. The mother identified as Maria Thomas of Kansas city has been charged with "endangering the welfare of a child".
On February 9, first responders at the scene apprised the police officials about the incident. On reaching Thomas's residence, the officials found the baby in a "badly burnt" condition on the oven, and they described the sight as "gruesome".
Along with the responders, another witness was quoted by Fox4news as stating that "the mother put the child down for a nap and accidentally placed her in the oven instead of the crib."
Mariah Thomas faces the Class A felony of Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st Degree, Death of a Child, stated the Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in a press release.
"According to court records filed today, Kansas City police responded to a residence after being dispatched on a report of a non-breathing infant. Responders observed the 1-month-old child with apparent burns. They were told the mother of the child was putting the child down for a nap and accidentally placed the child in the oven instead of the crib," the release read.
The County also issued a statement on the incident that said, "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."
The police said that the baby was declared dead at the spot. Thomas now faces serious charges, however more details over the proceedings have not been released yet.
In yet another incident from last month, three fans of American football team Kansas City Chiefs were mysteriously found 'frozen to death' — at a friend's home in 5200 block NW 83rd Terrace in Kansas, where they had been to watch the game against Los Angeles Chargers.