Indianapolis, IN – According to the court documents, the 34-year-old mom, later identified as Tricla, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to multiple charges earlier this month. The woman was sentenced in connection with her baby’s death several years ago. Prosecutors released a statement saying the defendant pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. After serving her time, the mother will also have 2 years of supervised release.
The investigation process began after the mother called 911 and told the dispatcher that her 4-month-old baby was not breathing. The responding officers made contact with the mother, who was giving CPR to her child. The child was then rushed to the hospital, where doctors pronounced the baby dead. The responding officers realized that the home was smelling of marljuana, so they obtained a search warrant authorizing a legal blood draw. The responding officers stated that the mother appeared to be intoxicated, with slurred speech.
The blood test results reportedly revealed that the mother came back positive for several opioid prescription medications. During an interview with investigators, the 34-year-old mom reportedly said that she woke up several hours before the fatal incident to feed her baby. After she fed the child, they both fell asleep and her baby was on the bed next to her. The mother then told investigators that when they woke up, the baby was right next to the woman on the same bed, not breathing. The responding officers also found multiple bottles of prescription drugs inside the woman’s home.
According to the court documents, the mother wasn’t charged with homicide because the medical examiner couldn’t determine either the cause or manner of the child’s death. The autopsy reportedly revealed that unsafe sleeping conditions caused the child’s death. During the investigation process, authorities reportedly discovered that the mother knew the risks of co-sIeeping with her baby and had previously been in trouble with child welfare authorities for the same practice. The woman was even instructed by hospital staff that newborns should sleep alone, on their back, in a crib. The hospital also provided instructional and educational sheet, which informed her of the dangers of co-sIeeping with a baby. The mother stated that she is really bad about co-sIeeping.