A New York couple was charged in the death of their son after dogs mauled the 3-month-old baby. Anastasia Weaver and Sulamain Hawkins Sr., both 19, allegedly left the infant alone in an attic to sleep while they smoked marijuana. When they returned an hour later, the baby was unresponsive.
The baby boy, Sulamain Hawkins Jr., was rushed to an area hospital where he died from his injuries. His parents were arrested and charged with manslaughter.
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The home was reportedly a mess.
According to WROC, court documents indicate that when police arrived at the home on August 3, they found the attic where the infant was left alone in "deplorable" condition.
The parents allegedly left the baby alone with two pit bulls while they went downstairs to do drugs. They were staying at the home of an acquaintance on Bidwell Terrace in Rochester with their baby.
When the parents returned, the baby was unresponsive.
When Weaver and Hawkins returned to the attic about an hour later, the baby was unresponsive. He was reportedly left alone with two pit bulls and was attacked by at least one dog while they were gone. Per court documents, he was taken to an area hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later.
Prosecutors condemned the parents' behavior.
Assistant District Attorney Sara VanStrydonck said in court that she believed the charges against the parents were appropriate.
"The allegations here, we feel, support the recklessness that a reasonable person in these defendants' situations would not have acted the way they did. They knew a risk and they consciously disregarded that risk," she said, per WROC.
The couple's legal team believes the death was accidental.
Defense attorney Michael Schiano reiterated that the case is in its early stages and all evidence needs to be examined before passing judgement on the couple.
"I think the allegations here, that the individuals that were in the house and somehow left the child unattended for a period of time, again, could this have been an accident? Could this have been something in that nature? They're charging it as a reckless conduct, so we'd have to take a look at all the facts and circumstances to see exactly what happened here," he said, according to WROC.
A judge set the mother and father's bail at $15,000 each.
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The dogs were euthanized.
Rochester Animal Services euthanized both dogs after the attack, per WROC. The homeowner has since evicted the tenants Weaver and Hawkins had been staying with. The couple is due in court for their next appearance on August 27.
