Kansas City mother arrested for putting her baby in oven, allegedly by mistake

Feb. 11 (UPI) -- A 26-year-old mother in Kansas City, Missouri has been arrested and charged with a felony in the death of her one-month old child whom she put in an oven, instead of a crib, allegedly by mistake, prosecutors said.

Mariah Thomas has been charged with a Class A felony, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said Saturday.

"We appreciate all first responders who worked this scene and the prosecutors who went to the scene in order to issue these charges," Baker said in a press release. "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."

Police responded to a call about a non breathing infant at a residence in a Kansas City neighborhood around 1:30 p.m. local time Friday, according to court documents filed Saturday and obtained by ABC News.

Upon arriving, officers observed the infant victim had apparent burn wounds, according to the court documents. The Kansas City Fire Department responded and declared the 1-month-old dead at the scene.

Thomas claimed she was putting the child down for a nap and accidentally placed the child in the oven instead of the crib, according to the court documents.

"I thought I put [infant's name redacted] in her crib, and I accidentally put her in the oven," Thomas allegedly told the infant's grandfather, who provided a statement to police, according to the court documents.

Court records do not show if Thomas has an attorney.

Thomas could face anywhere from 10 years to life in prison if she is convicted, according to Missouri state law.