Sara Harris: Phoenix mother arrested for leaving her 6-week-old baby alone at home for 2 days to die
If you or anyone you know suspects child abuse, you are urged to immediately call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A Phoenix woman, who had left her two children at her Phoenix apartment for 37 hours last summer while she allegedly partied and did drugs, was recently arrested on suspicion of child abuse and the death of her infant.
Just over five months after her 6-week-old child was discovered dead in her home, Sara Harris, 24, was charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of child abuse and was sent to jail on Friday.
A $100,000 bond has been set for her.
Sara Harris allegedly gave ibuprofen to her infant
On July 30, 2023, at a Phoenix apartment complex for victims of domestic violence, detectives responded to a call regarding a 1-month-old girl who was not breathing, according to court documents.
According to the probable cause statement for Harris's arrest, during the preliminary investigation, Harris informed the authorities that her child had been fussy the previous evening.
In response, she gave the child ibuprofen via a syringe and held her until she fell asleep. Harris claimed that when she returned to the apartment after a brief absence the following day, her child was not responding.
However, investigators found that Harris had not been at the apartment for about 37 hours before she discovered her infant dead, according to the probable cause statement, after looking through surveillance footage from the area around the complex and other places Harris claimed to have gone.
Her 17-month-old daughter was left inside as well.
According to court documents, the pathologist finally concluded that the infant's manner of death was undetermined after finding evidence of an unsafe sleeping environment, airway mucus plug, and chlorpheniramine intoxication.
Tylenol for children frequently contains chlorpheniramine.
Sara Harris consumed alcohol and drugs
In a post-Miranda interview on January 5, Harris acknowledged that she had left her infant and toddler behind on July 28 and hadn't returned until July 30.
She claimed to have consumed alcohol, taken drugs on the street, and attended a Tempe nightclub during that time, according to the probable cause statement. Before she left, Harris added, she gave the baby a bottle of NyQuil and melatonin.
Court documents state that the NyQuil was found during a toxicology screening. On Thursday, Harris is expected to appear in court.
