A 22 year-old mother of two has been found guilty of second degree-domestic violence in regards to her baby boy, when her neglect left him "in jeopardy of starving to death" according to doctors and reported by the Komo News from Burien, WA.
The baby was 7 weeks old at the time of her arrest.
The mother, K.A.M., of Oregon, was charged in Washington state. K.A.M. had moved to her mother's home in Washington with her two-year-old daughter just before giving birth to her boy this past March.
The statement of probable cause read that the infant was in the 50th percentile for body weight at 8.1 pounds in the beginning of April. Within six weeks he was in the 32nd percentile at 8.7 pounds, which lowered further to the 15th percentile at 8.15 pounds, and finally dropped to the 3rd percentile when he weighed in at 7.9 pounds.
Doctors said that by the middle of May the infant was suffering with severe malnutrition and may starve to death. Additionally, according to the doctors, if the boy had "any illness" it "would have been potentially fatal."
According to the statement, when doctors diagnosed the baby with a "profound" case of scabies, K.A.M. only responded to their queries that she found the boy to be a "little skinny". Furthermore, during her son's examinations nurses told investigators that K.A.M. showed a "poor response to (her son's) cues and needs."
Nurses claimed that they had to issue repeated instructions to K.A.M. to make sure the boy was fed.
K.A.M.'s daughter was also examined, and though she also had a case of scabies, it was not determined that she suffered with malnutrition. K.A.M.'s daughter was residing with relatives at the time.
In August of 2011, when K.A.M. was under investigation in Oregon, she moved in with her mother in Washington.
K.A.M. admitted to investigators in Oregon that she was "…married and involved with a registered sex offender who is not allowed to have contact with children…leaving her child with friends who may not be safe and appropriate caregivers."
Oregon officials determined that K.A.M. had posed a threat of harm, and neglect, to her daughter.
When Child Protective Services visited K.A.M.'s Burien home, due to reports of "questionable scratches" seen on her daughter's face, they found the home to be "cluttered, hazardous for a toddler due to choking hazards, and unsanitary."
Investigators also noted that K.A.M. slept with her son in a family room while her daughter slept in a room with her aunts.
Due to K.A.M.'s fight risk and history of neglect, according to prosecutors, bail was requested and set at $200,000.
Prosecutors wrote, "But for the swift actions of medical personnel, the seven week old victim child of the defendant would not have survived the deprivation of food for much longer."
If you have been charged with one or more criminal counts, contact a criminal attorney to best serve your needs. Begin working on your defense today!