Mom Who Said She ‘Accidentally’ Put 1-Month-Old In Oven Instead of Crib Charged with Manslaughter

Last week, a grand jury added a first-degree involuntary manslaughter charge in a superseding indictment against Mariah Thomas, 26. Thomas was previously charged with one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, a felony, earlier this year.

Her trial is set for January 13.

According to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, authorities in Kansas City, Missouri responded to the horrific scene back in February, following a call regarding a “non-breathing infant.”

“Responders observed the 1-month-old child with apparent burns,” said prosecutors. “They were told the mother of the child was putting the child down for a nap and accidentally placed the child in the oven instead of the crib.”

The baby, a girl named Za’riah, was declared deceased at the scene.

Per a criminal complaint, Thomas and the child both lived with her grandparents, who said she seemed “in good spirits” the morning of Za’riah’s death. They both left their daughter with their grandchild when they went to work.

The way the redacted criminal complaint reads, it seems that around 1pm that day, Mariah’s mother received a call from her daughter, who “sounded hysterical.” Mariah said she “put [Za’riah] in the oven instead of the crib” and “continued to yell hysterically” after her mother told her to call 911. The mother then called her husband, telling him to return home.

The grandfather told police he received a call saying “something was wrong with the baby and he needed to return home.”

He then said he could smell smoke upon arriving at the house, before finding the baby dead in her crib. Thomas told the family member, “I thought I put Za’riah in the crib but I accidentally put her in the oven.”

The infant “had sustained apparent thermal injuries on various parts of her body,” read the complaint — which added the baby was wearing a bodysuit, or onesie, over a diaper, which had melted together. A burned blanket was also found in the home.

A friend who previously spoke with Daily Beast claimed Thomas “has been dealing with mental illness since a child” and stopped taking her medication while pregnant.

The friend said they asked Thomas about taking them after giving birth “and that’s when she laughed, and I said that’s not funny.”

“She didn’t mean to hurt her baby. She loved her baby dearly,” added the friend, who believes Thomas’ mental health declined after giving birth.

If you are experiencing or witness child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911.