A Pennsylvania woman is accused of fatally poisoning her boyfriend’s 18-month-old daughter by feeding her batteries, screws and nail polish remover after researching the harmful effects those items could have on a child before the murder.
Aleisia Owens, 20, was arrested Thursday for the alleged murder of Iris Rita Alfera after an autopsy determined the girl died due to fatal levels of acetone in her blood, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry announced.
Owens had been living with Iris’ father, Bailey Jacoby, when he left the house to go to the store on June 25, 2023.
Jacoby, who had visitation rights with Iris, received a call from Owens telling him that something was wrong with his daughter.
She rushed to the New Castle home and found her baby unresponsive and quickly called 911, according to the criminal complaint obtained by WPIX.
The autopsy showed that Iris Rita Alfera had ingested numerous “water beads,” as well as button-shaped batteries and a metal screw. Iris’s angels / Facebook Iris Rita Alfera was allegedly murdered by her father’s girlfriend, who allegedly poisoned the child. Iris’s angels / Facebook
Iris was rushed to UPMC Jameson Hospital in New Castle, Pennsylvania, for treatment, but was then airlifted about an hour away to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh.
The boy died four days later due to organ failure.
Iris lived with her mother, Emily Alfera, and grandparents, while her father, Jacoby, had visitation rights.
Owens had told police that the girl had hit her head after she “cramped” and fell out of bed, according to the complaint.
Aleisia Owens was taken to the Lawrence County Jail and is being held without bond. Lawrence County Prison
However, an autopsy showed that Iris had ingested numerous “water beads,” along with button batteries and a metal screw, months before she died, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
A search of Owens’ phone revealed that he had been searching for “information about household products that could cause serious harm or death to a child, including water beads, batteries, and nail polish,” from February to June 2023.
Police discovered that they had also searched for “beauty products that are poisonous to children” and “medicines that cause accidental poisoning deaths in children.”
The boy died four days after arriving at the hospital due to organ failure. Iris’s angels / Facebook
Acetone is found in nail polish remover.
New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem said the nefarious findings on Owens’ phone were a “crucial piece of evidence against him.”
“The details of this case are heartbreaking. “It is difficult to imagine that anyone would have taken deliberate steps to harm a completely defenseless child and then misled investigators about what happened,” Henry said in a statement.
“The investigation shows that, for months, the defendant conducted meticulous research into how certain substances harm children. He then allegedly acted on his findings.”
Jacoby had been living with Owens for about a year before she allegedly killed her daughter.
Police did not arrest Jacoby in connection with his daughter’s death because “at this time, there is no evidence linking him or anyone else to the baby’s death,” Salem told New Castle News.
Iris with her mother, Emily Alfera. Iris’s angels / Facebook
“There was nothing throughout the investigation to show that he had any knowledge or involvement in what happened to the baby. He was questioned several times and cooperated.”
Owens faces a murder charge and was also charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery on a child, endangering the welfare of a child and “other crimes related to conduct leading to the death of the infant and other acts of abuse in previous months”.
The alleged child killer appeared before Judge Richard A. Russo on Thursday to have her charges read, where she sat “dry-eyed and expressionless,” the New Castle News reported.
Emily Alfera has continued to post heartbreaking tributes to her daughter since her alleged murder. Iris’s angels / Facebook
Owens was taken to the Lawrence County Jail and is being held without bail.
“We are happy that she was finally arrested. That is the first step. It will be a long process in the judicial system,” the boy’s grandfather, Frank Alfera, told the media.
Meanwhile, Emily Alfera posted heartbreaking tributes to her daughter since her alleged murder.
“I have no words for what has currently happened to my beautiful angel baby, never in my life did I think I would say goodbye to the greatest light of my life,” Emily Alfera posted on her Facebook one day after Iris’ death. .
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Source: vtt.edu.vn