Mom held for baby's death in microwave
Source: Agencies |
June 23, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SACRAMENTO police arrested a 29-year-old mother on Tuesday after an investigation found her baby likely died from burns suffered in a microwave oven.
Ka Yang was being held without bail in Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and assault resulting in the death of a child.
She was arrested three months after her otherwise healthy six-week-old daughter, Mirabelle Thao-Lo, was found dead in the family home on March 17.
Police described the child as suffering "extensive thermal injuries." Officer Laura Peck said the arrest took so long because investigators had to pinpoint what they believe is the cause of death by looking for other cases involving similar injuries.
They found three in the US, all after children were burned in a microwave: in Dayton, Ohio; Galveston, Texas; and New Kent County, Virginia.
"This is rare. The injuries were obviously very unique," Peck said. "There have been only three other documented cases in the entire country where the injuries were consistent with this case. ... Those children were also burned and placed in the microwave."
Motive unknown
She said police do not know a motive. She did not believe Yang had an attorney, and none was listed in jail records.
"We wouldn't assess her mental condition. That will be up to the court system," Peck said. "The bottom line is no one knows what happened in that house but her and the little baby."
Yang has three other children, all under age 7, who were removed from the home the day their sister was found dead. They are now living with relatives.
Last month, China Arnold, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2005 microwave murder of her 28-day-old daughter, Paris Talley.
In 2008, Joshua Mauldin, of Galveston, Texas, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for severely burning his two-month-old daughter in a microwave oven. The girl survived, but suffered second and third-degree burns to her left ear, cheek, hand and shoulder. Part of her left ear had to be amputated.
In 2000, a Virginia woman was sentenced to five years in prison for killing her month-old son in a microwave oven. She claimed to have had no memory of the incident.
Ka Yang was being held without bail in Sacramento County Jail on suspicion of murder and assault resulting in the death of a child.
She was arrested three months after her otherwise healthy six-week-old daughter, Mirabelle Thao-Lo, was found dead in the family home on March 17.
Police described the child as suffering "extensive thermal injuries." Officer Laura Peck said the arrest took so long because investigators had to pinpoint what they believe is the cause of death by looking for other cases involving similar injuries.
They found three in the US, all after children were burned in a microwave: in Dayton, Ohio; Galveston, Texas; and New Kent County, Virginia.
"This is rare. The injuries were obviously very unique," Peck said. "There have been only three other documented cases in the entire country where the injuries were consistent with this case. ... Those children were also burned and placed in the microwave."
Motive unknown
She said police do not know a motive. She did not believe Yang had an attorney, and none was listed in jail records.
"We wouldn't assess her mental condition. That will be up to the court system," Peck said. "The bottom line is no one knows what happened in that house but her and the little baby."
Yang has three other children, all under age 7, who were removed from the home the day their sister was found dead. They are now living with relatives.
Last month, China Arnold, of Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 2005 microwave murder of her 28-day-old daughter, Paris Talley.
In 2008, Joshua Mauldin, of Galveston, Texas, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for severely burning his two-month-old daughter in a microwave oven. The girl survived, but suffered second and third-degree burns to her left ear, cheek, hand and shoulder. Part of her left ear had to be amputated.
In 2000, a Virginia woman was sentenced to five years in prison for killing her month-old son in a microwave oven. She claimed to have had no memory of the incident.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
