Mother had called 911 seeking help a week prior to infant son’s death
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VALENCIA COUNTY, N.M. — A woman in Valencia County has been arrested and charged with murder, accused of killing her one-month-old son.
Court documents show that the boy’s mother, 30-year-old Kiria Lynn Milton, had called 911 Monday morning. She told dispatchers she was freaking out and told the operator that her baby had started crying around dinner time and didn’t stop.
"The infant was found unresponsive," said Lt. Joseph Rowland with the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office. "No life-saving steps were taken due to the condition of the child at the time."
Police said the baby was found in his bassinet next to Milton’s bed, with heavy bruising on his face and blood around his mouth.
In an interview with police, Milton told police she put her baby and 4-year-old son to bed Sunday night, and the baby did not fuss or cry at all in the middle of the night.
Police said Milton had called 911 the week prior.
"The mother of the home called 911, stating she feared for her children’s safety – that she may hurt them," Rowland said.
Documents show Milton told 911 dispatchers that she was not "right in the head" and she "doesn’t want to hurt them."
Milton was taken admitted to UNM Hospital. CYFD responded, recommending the children stay in their father’s custody.
However, when deputies arrived on scene Monday and discovered the one-month-old baby – their father was out of town on business.
It’s still unclear what happened during this last week after Milton was released from the hospital, and how the children ended up back in her care.
A CYFD spokesperson sent the station the following statement:
"The Children, Youth and Families department mourns the loss of any child’s life and will take immediate action to provide support to surviving victims while also respecting the privacy of those victims.
Yesterday, the Department responded to the death of a 1-month-old child in Valencia County. The department has taken action to protect and ensure the safety of the surviving sibling. The Department is prohibited by law to provide additional details at this time to protect the integrity of any investigation. CYFD will be aggressively investigating the incident in cooperation with law enforcement.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends of these young victims."