PHOENIX — A Valley mother has been taken into custody after she allegedly left her young children unsupervised for 37 hours, resulting in her 6-week-old infant passing away.
Sara Harris, 24, was arrested last week by Phoenix police after she allegedly admitted to leaving her baby and toddler home alone between the night of July 28 and the morning of July 30.
Court records show officers responded to the family's residence on July 30 to find the baby unresponsive on a mattress. The child was later pronounced deceased and the infant's death was attributed to "tracheal mucus plugging."
Harris initially told investigators she had woken up that morning and briefly left the apartment. Upon her return, the mother claimed to have found the baby unresponsive.
But investigators noticed the child had displayed signs of rigor mortis, suggesting that the baby had been deceased for some time.
A review of security camera footage conflicted with Harris' version of events, leading investigators to obtain search warrants to review her cell phone's geographical data.
Court records show Harris' phone had left the apartment on the night of July 28 and did not return until the morning of July 30.
Harris allegedly told police she had asked a neighbor to check on her kids while she was gone. The mother was booked into the Maricopa County jail and could be facing a charge of second-degree murder.
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