THIBODAUX, LA (WAFB) -
Lafourche Parish authorities said a 34-year-old woman was arrested on a murder charge in the death of her 2-month-old daughter.
Sheriff Craig Webre said LaTisha Thomas called 911 on Feb. 9 and reported her newborn was not breathing.
Paramedics and sheriff's deputies rushed to the scene, but when they arrived they discovered the baby was already dead.
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said LaTisha Thomas of Thibodaux is accused of killing her baby, Angel Thomas. Latisha was arrested on Thursday.
The infant's grandmother, Penny Richardson, said she has a hard time believing LaTisha neglected her daughter.
"It's hurting. It's sad. I don't understand it cause she was a healthy baby and I seen the baby. She was so healthy. She was smiling, eating," Richardson said.
Brennan Matherne, a spokesman for the Lafourche Parish Sheriff, said an autopsy conducted by the Jefferson Parish Forensic Center revealed the infant died from severe malnourishment.
"Doctors, through autopsy, and they consulted with pediatricians in that field, essentially determined the child had gone without a significant enough nutrition for a certain period of time," Matherne said.
Detectives said additional questioning of the mother indicated she had not properly fed the baby and didn't try to get help dealing with it.
She was booked into the Lafourche Parish Detention Center on a second degree murder charge.
Her bond was set at $500,000.
Thomas has two other children. They were put into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.
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Latisha Thomas (Source: Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office)
Angel Thomas
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