A Kansas City mother was taking care of her newborn daughter when the child died after a tragic accident. Mariah Thomas, 26, allegedly put her infant, Za'Riah, down for a nap in an oven instead of in her crib. Police arrived at the home in the city's Manheim neighborhood around 1:30 p.m. February 9. Sadly, the infant was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thomas reportedly said the baby's death was an accident and she didn't realize she put her in the oven until it was too late, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. If convicted, she faces a lengthy prison term.
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Police arrived at the home after a call about an unresponsive infant.
Police responded to the call early Friday afternoon and saw an infant with burn wounds, per ABC News. According to court documents, Za'Riah's clothing and diaper were melted onto her body. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The infant's grandfather apparently told police that Thomas said, "I thought I put [infant's name redacted] in her crib, and I accidentally put her in the oven."
A friend defended the young mother.
An unidentified friend told the Daily Beast that Thomas was a loving mother who would never have intentionally hurt her baby. Amid an onslaught of angry comments online, the friend claimed the accident was due to Thomas' ongoing struggle with mental health.
The friend said she asked Thomas if she was taking her medication. "She said, 'No.' And I said, 'But you not pregnant no more.' And that's when she laughed, and I said that's not funny," the friend recalled.
Thomas' behavior reportedly became more erratic after Za'Riah's birth.
According to her friend, Thomas thought people no longer cared about her after the birth of her baby.
"She thought everyone only likes her because her daughter was born, and she didn't like that at all," the friend told Daily Beast. "She wanted everyone's attention, too, just like Za'Riah was getting attention."
Thomas posted on Facebook on January 14 about her frustration. "I won't be on here don't inbox me or none of that I don't f— with ya'll at all I'm done being f—ing nice like I said before y'all only f—ng with me cause of my daughter & I said what I said," she wrote.
Thomas also shared messages of love for her daughter.
She posted on January 21 that she had dreams for herself and Za'Riah. "My Goal This Year For 2024 Is To Be The Best Mother I Can Be To My Beautiful Daughter && To Stay Outta Drama && To Get A Place For Me & My Daughter & FOR ONLY ME & MY DAUGHTER," she wrote.
Her friend told the Daily Beast that Thomas loved Za'Riah and her death wasn't intentional. "I know Mariah didn't do it on purpose," the friend said.
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Thomas could face life in prison if she's convicted.
Per a release from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, Thomas was charged with endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, a Class A felony. According to Missouri law, she could spend the rest of her life in jail if convicted.
"We appreciate all first responders who worked this scene and the prosecutors who went to the scene in order to issue these charges. We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life. We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances," Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker noted in a statement.
