Mariah Thomas, a 26-year-old American mother, has been accused of endangering the welfare of a child following the tragic death of her one-month-old daughter, Za’Riah Mae, who was found with burn wounds.
According to an arrest warrant, authorities were alerted to a child not breathing at Thomas’ home in Kansas City on the day after her birthday.
Upon arrival, responders discovered the infant covered in burns, with her clothing melted onto her diaper.
A distraught friend of Thomas informed DailyMail that Za’Riah was described as a ‘very bubbly’ baby who was ‘constantly smiling’.
The friend also suggested that Thomas’ mental health might have been a contributing factor to the tragic incident, stating, ‘Mariah had mental issues from what I know and didn’t have the mindset of an adult, she thought like a child.’
The friend mentioned that their last conversation with Thomas was on Monday. Additionally, Za’Riah’s grandfather relayed to the police that he received a distress call from Thomas around 1pm on Friday, informing him that ‘something was wrong with the baby and he needed to return home immediately’.
Upon his return home, he detected the scent of smoke and tragically discovered Za’Riah deceased in her crib.
Court documents indicate that Thomas informed him she had ‘accidentally’ placed the baby in the oven.
When police arrived, they found Za’Riah in a car seat within the residence, displaying apparent thermal injuries across different areas of her body.
She was found wearing a bodysuit over a diaper, which seemed to have melted onto her body and appeared ‘very dirty, possibly burned’.
Additionally, a charred baby blanket was found at the scene and collected as evidence. Following this discovery, Thomas was taken to police headquarters for questioning, during which she chose to exercise her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.
However, she did give consent for detectives to conduct a blood draw and access data from her phone.
Thomas’ social media profiles portray her as a devoted mother who affectionately referred to her daughter as her ‘princess’.
However, in a troubling post made just weeks prior to the tragic incident, Thomas expressed feeling neglected, stating, ‘Mfs claim they my friend but never check up on me or Za’Riah,’ in a message dated January 20. Presently, Thomas is detained at the Jackson County Detention Center.
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