An Alabama mother was charged with child abuse after police said she left her baby boy home alone while she went to work and came back to find him dead. Ja’Keisa Knox, 29, is in custody at the Tuscaloosa County Jail after she was arrested Tuesday, the same day she found her 9-month-old son dead in her home.
According to WBRC, Knox called police at 4 p.m. on Tuesday after finding her baby unresponsive. Police eventually learned that Knox had just returned home from work and allegedly left the baby home alone while she was gone for several hours.
Knox reportedly told deputies with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office that she left her apartment at 8 a.m., indicating that the baby was allegedly alone in the home for eight hours. According to police, Knox confirmed she was the baby’s sole guardian and that no one else was expected to care for him while she was gone.
Tuscaloosa News reported that the baby was brought to DCH Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Medical staff at the hospital told police that they observed several injuries on the boy, who was also malnourished and underweight. The discovery prompted a call to the sheriff’s Violent Crimes Unit, which is also participating in the baby’s death investigation.
Knox was charged with child abuse, and authorities said additional charges may be added depending on the results of the baby’s autopsy. She is being held at the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond. Her next court date was not immediately available.
The case has drawn scrutiny from local child welfare advocates, who note that the combination of unexplained injuries and signs of malnourishment suggests the baby’s death may not have been an isolated incident but rather the result of prolonged neglect. Investigators have not said whether Knox had any prior contact with child protective services or whether there were previous reports of concern about the infant’s welfare.
Authorities have also not disclosed what specific injuries were found on the child’s body, pending the outcome of the autopsy, which is expected to determine the official cause and manner of death. That report could take several weeks to complete, according to standard practice in Tuscaloosa County death investigations.
As the investigation continues, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said it is working alongside the Violent Crimes Unit to determine whether any other individuals may have played a role in the child’s care or neglect. No additional arrests have been announced at this time.