6-week-old left alone for weekend dies while mom goes clubbing, Arizona police say
A 24-year-old mom was arrested after she was accused of leaving her baby alone for 37 hours, resulting in the baby’s death, Arizona officials said.
In July, police responded to a Phoenix home after getting reports of an unresponsive baby, according to an arrest report.
The baby was found lying on a mattress in the living room of the house and was pronounced dead at the scene, the document said.
The mother, later identified as Sara Lashae Harris, told investigators her baby was “fussy” the night before so she gave the child ibuprofen through a syringe, officials said.
Harris left the home and when she returned, she found her baby with a pink blanket over her face, officials said. She called her parents, who came to her apartment, and her mother dialed 911.
Investigators checked surveillance footage and determined that the infant had been dead for a long period of time, and police got a search warrant for Harris’ home, officials said.
While performing the search, investigators found a bottle of children’s NyQuil and a syringe with liquid that matched the medicine inside the bottle, officials said.
After investigating and reviewing the contents of Harris’ phone along with security footage, police determined that Harris had plans to meet someone to engage in a sexual encounter, officials said.
Later, Harris admitted to investigators that she left the 6-week-old and a 17-month-old daughter alone for 37 hours, police said. She also said she went to a nightclub during this time.
The Medical Examiner’s Office determined the baby’s cause of death was thick mucus that plugged her airways, according to the arrest report. An ingredient found in children’s NyQuil was also found in the baby’s system.
Police said the medicine was intended for use in children ages 6 and older.
Harris later admitted to officers that she gave her baby NyQuil and melatonin before swaddling her and propping her in an “upward position on the mattress before leaving the apartment,” officials said.
The 17-month-old was placed in a playpen with no ability to escape before Harris left the apartment, the document said.
McClatchy News reached out to Harris’ lawyer on Jan. 10 but they were unavailable.
On Jan. 5, Harris was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and child abuse, officials said.
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