Police in Michigan arrested a 35-year-old mother Saturday after she allegedly tried to kill her children. Bodycam footage captured the moment Albion police burst into Jessica Deidre Edward-Ricks’ home and stopped the woman from allegedly drowning a 2-year-old child. Edward-Ricks reportedly stabbed the child and a 4-year-old who were in the house before authorities arrived.
A 15-year-old in the home heroically called 911 and likely saved the lives of the two children. Today, they are recovering from their injuries, and Edward-Ricks is in jail on multiple charges, including assault and intent to murder.
The children reportedly faced torture before police arrived.
Multiple children were in the home Saturday when the brutal attack occurred, according to court documents obtained by WOOD-TV. A 15-year-old reportedly called police after a 2-year-old and 8-year-old came into her room, the toddler covered in blood. The teen went to her mother’s room and allegedly saw her chasing the 4-year-old with a knife.
“(The 15-year-old) stated that (her brother) went under the bed, and that JESSICA was attempting to go after him,” the court document reads. “(The 15-year-old) stated that she fought JESSICA for the knife, and that during the struggle JESSICA attempted to stab her.”
Police believe the mother and some children may have ingested cleaning fluid at some point Saturday, ABC 13 reported.
The mother allegedly wanted to 'fix' the 2-year-old.
Documents stated the 15-year-old claimed her mother said she wanted to “fix” her sister. The 8-year-old reportedly told police he watched his older sister fight with their mother and try to get the knife away.
The teen ultimately got the knife, but Edward-Ricks got ahold of the 2-year-old and took her to the bathroom, the teen told police. She got the other children out of the home and went to a neighbor for help.
Police apparently caught Edward-Ricks with the child in the bathtub.
The disturbing bodycam footage shows the mother holding the child in the bathtub with the water running, allegedly trying to drown her. Albion police officer Aaron Phipps grabbed the girl and took her to another room to perform CPR. He stopped when she coughed up water. The children were taken to a nearby hospital for care. They were released on Monday, according to ABC 13.
UpNorth Live reported the family has had contact with child protective services in the past.
“We’ve responded to mental health issues and then domestic issues at the home. The first call that we got there was back in January this year, so I don’t know how long they lived there,” Albion Public Safety Chief Scott Kipp said.
The mother was taken into custody immediately.
Police arrested Edward-Ricks and took her to the hospital, as they suspected she had ingested cleaning fluid. Upon her release, she was taken to jail.
She appeared via video conference for her arraignment Tuesday in the Calhoun County Courthouse. She seemed to be lying down and emotionally distraught. She was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation by the court.
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Edward-Ricks faces life in prison.
The mother was charged with six felonies, two counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of first-degree child abuse, and two counts of second-degree child abuse. When the court magistrate asked if she understood the charges, she said, “Yes, but I didn’t mean,” and was promptly cut off, according to WOOD-TV.
Bond was set at $500,000. If released, she would have no contact with the children she is accused of abusing and only supervised visits with the others, the news outlet reported. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 11. If convicted, Edward-Ricks could spend life in prison.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
