Aleisia Owens: Twisted Pennsylvania woman searched for ways to harm children on phone before killing boyfriend's 1-year-old daughter
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NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA: Aleisia Owens, 20, is now facing criminal homicide charges in connection with the tragic death of her boyfriend's 1-year-old daughter, Iris Alfera, in 2023.
The Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with the New Castle Police Department, conducted a thorough investigation, revealing a disturbing sequence of events leading to the infant's untimely demise.
What led to baby Iris Alfera's tragic death?
Emergency crews responded to a distress call on June 25, 2023, at the residence of Iris' father Jacoby Alfera, where Owens cohabited with the family. Discovering the 1-year-old unresponsive, they rushed her to UPMC Jameson Hospital before transferring her to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.
Despite medical efforts, Iris succumbed to her injuries on June 29. The subsequent autopsy conducted by the medical examiner attributed the 1-year-old's death to fatal levels of acetone in her blood, leading to organ failure.
Investigators determined that she had been exposed to acetone just months before being admitted to the hospital for another incident. Shockingly, Iris had ingested 20 water beads, button-shaped batteries, and a metal screw in the lead-up to her tragic death, as per The Kansas City Star.
Aleisia Owens' alarming web searches become crucial evidence
The investigation took a chilling turn when police examined Owens' phone, uncovering a series of alarming web searches. Among these searches were inquiries into the effects of ingesting acetone on a child.
"Her phone searches were a crucial piece of the evidence against her," said New Castle Police Chief Robert Salem.
In 2023, an Illinois man Joshua Williams was arrested after he strangled teen girlfriend Amarise Parker to death and police found he has searched for 'how to explain an asphyxiation death' before killing her.
In another incident from Texas, Clarissa Stewart, the mother of the 2-month-old child, admitted to shaking her newborn and causing the baby to have a brain hemorrhage after she searched online for 'what are symptoms of shaken baby syndrome?'.
Community demands justice for baby Iris Alfera
Facing charges of criminal homicide, endangering the welfare of a child, and aggravated assault, Aleisia Owens has been denied bail as the community grapples with the devastating loss.
"I hope the baby rests in peace," expressed one neighbor.
"It saddened the community. It angered us. A lot of people in the community, they wanted immediate justice," police chief Salem added.
Signs reading "justice for baby Iris" now line the street where the one-year-old resided with her father and Owens.
