The child, authorities say, was subjected to a lethal diet of batteries, acetone, and screws.
The accused, Aleisia Owens, 20, hailing from New Castle, faces charges including homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child, among other offenses. These charges stem from actions leading to the infant's death and other instances of abuse in the preceding months, as reported by the New York Post.
January 13, 2024
Owens is alleged to have poisoned her boyfriend's child, Iris Rita Alfera, who succumbed to organ failure on June 29, 2023. The child's demise followed the detection of fatal levels of acetone in her bloodstream.
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The autopsy report disclosed that Iris had consumed numerous "water beads," a metal screw, and button-shaped batteries in the months leading to her death, as per the Office of Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.
Between February and June 2023, Owens had been conducting online searches for "information on household products that could cause a child serious harm or death, including water beads, batteries, and nail polish," according to police records.
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Additionally, Owens had sought information on "beauty products that are poisonous to kids" and "medications leading to cause accidental poisoning deaths in children."
The child's father, Bailey Jacoby, alerted emergency services after Owens informed him that the baby was unresponsive. The child was immediately transported to the hospital, where she died of organ failure four days later. At the time of the child's death, Owens was cohabitating with Jacoby.
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New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem described the case as "heartbreaking," highlighting Owens's phone records as a "crucial piece of the evidence against her."
"The details of this case are heartbreaking. It is hard to fathom someone taking deliberate steps to harm a completely helpless child, then misled investigators about what happened," AG Henry stated. "The investigation shows that, for months, the defendant conducted meticulous research on how certain substances harm children. She then allegedly acted on her findings," he added.
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