Mother charged with manslaughter after accidentally smothering her 2 months old son as they slept together
A 23 year old mother, Arissa Ward has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after she allegedly smothered her child while they slept next to each other. Ward, called police in Middleton, Pennsylvania, on 30 December last year after she found her infant son unresponsive on the couch next to her where they had been sleeping.
She said she had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before lying on the couch next to her son, who was two months and five days old. An autopsy carried out a week later found the child had died due to “traumatic asphyxia combined with smothering”.
The coroner also found traces of marijuana in the child’s system as Ms Ward had been breastfeeding. Ms Ward has now been charged with second-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter and a first degree misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of children. Ed Marisco, Dauphin County district attorney, defended prosecuting Ward and said the baby’s death had been “caused by a reckless act”.
He said it was clear she had not meant to kill her child but "the advice from hospitals and paediatricians is pretty clear - don't sleep with your child" and that if someone is under the influence of drink or drugs "it's much more likely something like this could happen".
She said she had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana before lying on the couch next to her son, who was two months and five days old. An autopsy carried out a week later found the child had died due to “traumatic asphyxia combined with smothering”.
The coroner also found traces of marijuana in the child’s system as Ms Ward had been breastfeeding. Ms Ward has now been charged with second-degree felony count of involuntary manslaughter and a first degree misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of children. Ed Marisco, Dauphin County district attorney, defended prosecuting Ward and said the baby’s death had been “caused by a reckless act”.
He said it was clear she had not meant to kill her child but "the advice from hospitals and paediatricians is pretty clear - don't sleep with your child" and that if someone is under the influence of drink or drugs "it's much more likely something like this could happen".
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