Inset: Ja’Keisa Knox (Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Tuscaloosa, Alabama, neighborhood where her infant was found dead (Google Maps).
An Alabama woman is facing a child abuse charge after authorities said she left her 9-month-old son alone at home while she went to work, then returned hours later to find the baby dead.
Ja’Keisa Knox, 29, was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail following her arrest Tuesday, the same day police say she discovered her infant son unresponsive inside her home. According to local Fox affiliate WBRC, Knox called authorities around 4 p.m. after finding the child unresponsive. Investigators later determined that Knox had just come back from work and allegedly had left the baby unattended for several hours.
Knox reportedly told Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies that she left her apartment at about 8 a.m., meaning the child was allegedly by himself for roughly eight hours. Authorities said Knox also confirmed she was the baby’s sole caregiver and that no one else had been arranged to check on or care for him while she was away.
The Tuscaloosa News reported that the infant was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Hospital staff told investigators they observed multiple injuries on the child, who was also described as malnourished and underweight. Those findings led officials to notify the sheriff’s Violent Crimes Unit, which is assisting in the investigation into the baby’s death.
Knox has been charged with child abuse, and officials said additional charges could be filed depending on the outcome of the autopsy. She remained held without bond at the Tuscaloosa County Jail. Information about her next court appearance was not immediately available.
