Baby dies while being babysat in Texarkana, Arkansas

Suspect was charged with capital murder, says police
A babysitter is charged with capital murder after an infant dies in her care.
Published: Jul. 10, 2026 at 12:21 PM CDT|Updated: Jul. 10, 2026 at 1:23 PM CDT

TEXARKANA, Ark. (KSLA) - A baby was killed in Texarkana, Arkansas, by his babysitter.

On June 29, 15 minutes before noon, officers with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department (TAPD) responded to an assistance-needed call from LifeNet, an EMS company.

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Dispatch told the officers that an 8-month-old needed urgent medical care, says TAPD.

When police arrived at the scene on Old Blackman Ferry Road, they saw LifeNet personnel providing emergency treatment to the unresponsive infant.

The baby had sustained life-threatening injuries while being babysat by a woman named Cherish Starks, 25, says TAPD.

A woman, Cherish Starks, was charged with capital murder for killing a baby she was...
A woman, Cherish Starks, was charged with capital murder for killing a baby she was babysitting in Texarkana, Arkansas.(Texarkana Arkansas Police Department)

The infant was originally taken to a local hospital but was later taken to a children’s hospital in Little Rock for advanced medical care.

On June 29, the TAPD Criminal Investigation Division interviewed Starks, and investigators determined that she would be charged with 1st-degree battery, says TAPD.

She was then taken to the Miller County Detention Center.

While Starks was in custody on July 1, investigators were told that the baby had passed away due to his injuries, says TAPD.

As a result, Starks’ charge was upgraded to capital murder, a class y felony under Arkansas law.