|
Breast-feeding mother allegedly kills baby
Inebriated 27-year-old told police she fell asleep on top of 4-month-old
girl
The Associated Press, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, Nov 12, 2005
OshKosh, Wisconsin U.S.A.. - A 4-month-old girl died when her inebriated mother fell
asleep on top of her while breast-feeding, prosecutors said. Lorinda Hawkins
told police she fell asleep about 15 minutes after she started breast-feeding
the baby Feb. 23 because of her intoxication, a criminal complaint said. When
she woke up about an hour later, the baby was pale and wasnt breathing, the
complaint said. Hawkins was charged Friday with one count of child neglect
causing a death. If convicted as a repeat felony offender, she could be
sentenced to 29 years in prison and fined $100,000. Defense lawyer Steven Smits
asked for Hawkins release on signature bond so she could enter substance abuse
treatment, but she remained jailed late Friday on $7,000 bond. A preliminary
hearing was scheduled Nov. 17. High blood alcohol level
The 27-year-old who was on probation for child neglect had
consumed six double-shot alcoholic beverages at a bowling alley, the complaint
said. A toxicologist estimated her blood alcohol level ranged from .15 to .27
percent. Her husband drove Hawkins and their 4-year-old daughter to the bowling
alley and later brought them home, then went out drinking himself, according to
the complaint. The baby was unresponsive when he returned an hour later, the
complaint said. Hawkins was on probation for neglect of the same child, and was
prohibited from drinking alcohol and from having unsupervised contact with all
four of her children at once, court documents show.
2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. |