A North Carolina woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse after police said her infant died as a result of co-sleeping at a home in Monroe.
Natricia Ann Wright, 27, was booked into the Union County Detention Center and given a $750,000 secured bond, according to the Monroe Police Department.
Officers responded to a home on Bragg Street at about 10 a.m. on May 18 “after receiving a report of an unresponsive infant.” Police said officers “immediately began lifesaving efforts” before medical personnel arrived and continued attempts to save the child. The infant was later pronounced dead.
Detectives opened an investigation and “uncovered that the infant died as a result of co-sleeping,” according to the department. Police did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.
After “carefully reviewing the facts of the case, detectives determined that criminal charges were appropriate,” police said. Wright was subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse.
“First and foremost, our hearts go out to this child and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss,” Monroe Police Chief Rhett Bolen said. “There is nothing that can adequately express the tragedy of losing a child, and we recognize that this investigation has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved.
Our detectives have spent nearly three months carefully working to understand exactly what happened and to make decisions based on facts and evidence. These charges are the result of that investigation and the specific circumstances uncovered by our detectives.”
The latest case is reportedly not the first time Wright has faced criminal charges following the death of one of her children. According to WBTV, Wright and the father of her 5-month-old son were charged after the child died in May 2020. Authorities responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive child on May 20, 2020. Emergency personnel pronounced the boy dead at the scene.
Investigators alleged that the infant had suffered from chronic malnutrition after his parents failed to provide him with adequate food or medical care for several months. An arrest warrant reportedly stated that the alleged neglect covered most, if not all, of the child’s life.
Wright and the child’s father were charged in August 2020. Three years later, they pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of placing a child at risk of harm or willfully abandoning a child. Both were placed on probation.
In the latest case, Wright is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 24. The charges against her remain allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.