PITTSBURGH — A 20-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the death of her boyfriend’s one-year-old daughter and is accused of feeding the little baby girl acetone, batteries, and metal screws.
Alesia Owens, from Pennsylvania, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the baby’s death after prosecutors claimed she was poisoned with household items.
Owens faces multiple charges, including criminal homicide, after Iris Alfera sadly died in June 2023. Attorney General Michelle Henry alleged the young woman had researched products around the home that were fatal to children and then used an assortment of items to poison the little girl.
Iris, 1, died after consuming poisonous objects
Investigators from the New Castle Police Department said they discovered that Owens conducted several web searches from February to June for information that was related to the toddler’s cause of death, the Huffington Post reports.
The attorney general’s office claimed Owens made multiple online searches for household products that could kill a child. Searches included water beads, batteries, and nail polish.
A prosecutor said: “Search phrases included beauty products that are poisonous to kids and medications leading to cause accidental poisoning deaths in children.”
The “angel” died from acetone poisoning, an autopsy confirmed
They continued, adding how months before Iris’ death she was taken to hospital after reportedly eating multiple harmful objects, including 20 water beads, batteries, and a metal screw.
Lawrence County Children and Youth Services was contacted after the hospitalization but charges were not filed, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Owens is in the Owens County Jail after being denied bail, and many are eaglery awaiting further details on where her case will be listed in the future.
The 18-month old was rushed to hospital but sadly died
One of those is Attorney General Henry who said: “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.”
“The death of Iris Alfera has brought pain, sadness, and anger to our community. The New Castle City Police Department has worked tirelessly on this case with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to bring the person responsible to justice,” New Castle Police Department Chief Robert Salem said. “I am extremely proud of the officers, detectives, and agents who were involved in investigating this complex case and arresting the person who was responsible for the child’s death.”
By SEAN McPOLIN/The Mirror
Attorney General Michelle Henry described the case as “heartbreaking”
