One yo Mariah's Throat Cut by Mom Danielle Busby, Dallas, Tx(critical cond.)

[MuffyBee]

What the heck is going on with these women cutting children's throats?!!

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Dallas-police-Mom-says-she-cut-infant-in-911-call--144206255.html
Dallas police: Mom says she cut infant's throat in 911 call
by CYNTHIA VEGA and REBECCA LOPEZ
March 26, 2012

DALLAS - A woman was taken into custody and her one-year-old child was transported to Children's Medical Center of Dallas after police received a 911 call about a baby who was cut on the neck, police said.

Police said the call came in just after 6:30 a.m., with Danielle Busby claiming to have cut her baby's throat.

Busby could be seen placed in handcuffs this morning at a home located in the 10900 block of Marchant Circle. Dallas police said they recovered the kitchen knife they believe was used to cut the infant's throat. The knife was found inside the home.
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The one-year-old girl, Mariah, was transported to Children's Medical Center of Dallas. While hospital officials said they are not allowed to release information pertaining to the case as CPS investigates, police said she underwent surgery and is expected to recover.

Police said the knife wound cut the child's larynx, but narrowly missed her carotid artery, which is why doctors are optimistic that the little girl will be able to make a full recovery.

Police said Busby's sister called authorities last week to report that she believed the mother to be mentally ill and a possible danger to the child. Police did respond, but said the child did not appear to be in danger. The mother told police she was taking her medications, police said. Authorities then informed the sister she could contact CPS if she still believed the child was in danger.

Dallas police were also called to the home in June when Mariah was three months old. A police report indicates Busby was seen running around only wearing a shirt and underwear. Busby was taken into custody for mental observation because they believed she was a danger to herself and others. It is unclear how long she was under a doctor's observation before she was released.
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Child abuse detectives are investigating the case. CPS has not answered News 8 questions about the case, including whether they were involved in the case previously.  They did report that they may take temporary custody of the child.
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

It looks like little Mariah was failed by the system that was designed to save her.    

http://www.kvue.com/news/state/Dallas-mom-accused-of-slashing-babys-throat-is-highly-educated-144361175.html
Dallas mom accused of slashing baby's throat is highly educated
March 27, 2012

DALLAS — The woman accused of slashing the throat of her only child is highly educated, her family said, but was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic after mission trips overseas.

Two weeks ago, Danielle Busby celebrated the first birthday of her daughter, Mariah.

On Monday night, the little girl was in a medically-induced coma at Children's Medical Center Dallas after police said Busby used a kitchen knife to slash the throat of her only child.
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Child Protective Services will ask a judge on Tuesday for emergency custody, said Julie Moody, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.

Dallas police got their latest call to Busby's house near White Rock Lake on Monday morning after officers said she called 911 to say she had cut her daughter.

Busby called her little sister hours after arriving in jail, asking for prayers before she saw the judge.

"I asked her what happened and she hung up," said Rhonda Choice, Danielle's sister. "She never asked about the baby. I'm not sure if she even knows if the baby's alive. I don't know that yet."

The woman that police led away in handcuffs is not the older sister Choice said she grew up with on Dallas' east side.

Danielle Busby, now 32, earned a degree in economics from Southern Methodist University, graduating summa cum laude in 2001.

She taught and tutored math at Dallas ISD, is fluent in Spanish, and performed missionary work in Africa and Central America, Annette Choice said. But after those overseas trips Danielle returned home with a tormented mind.

Months later, she was diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic and stayed in mental hospitals three times, Choice said.

In June 2011, a couple of months after Mariah was born, Danielle's family called police about bizarre behavior she exhibited, including walking around outside wearing only a shirt and underwear.

Officers took her away for a mental evaluation during that episode.

"Each time we were told there were no signs of immediate danger," said Annette Choice.

Last week, Danielle's younger sister, Rhonda, called police again because she said she was worried about Mariah's safety.

But Rhonda said officers told her she could not intervene and take her sister's child despite a clear mental illness.
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Danielle's family still questions why Dallas police and Child Protective Services were not able to do more to prevent this tragedy from happening.

Despite a deep cut across her throat, and after  90 minutes in surgery on Monday, doctors told Mariah's relatives that the little girl should survive the attack.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/CPS-seeking-custody-of-baby-whose-throat-was-slashed-144418935.html
CPS seeking custody of baby whose throat was slashed
March 27, 2012

DALLAS - An emergency custody hearing is scheduled today to determine who should oversee the care of a baby girl hospitalized with a slashed throat.

One-year-old Mariah Busby remains at Children's Medical Center recovering from the life-threatening injury that was allegedly made at the hands of her own mother.

Child Protective Services is hoping to gain temporary custody of Mariah, whose throat was slashed Monday morning, if she is able to leave the hospital. CPS officials have been trying to schedule a 1:30 p.m. hearing at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center.

Mom Danielle Busby remains behind bars accused of using a kitchen knife to cause the throat injury at the family's East Dallas home. Police said Busby called 911 at 6:30 a.m. to report what had happened.
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Dallas police say they've responded to calls at the family home two times before Monday. Last year, they took Busby in for a mental health evaluation. Last week, they returned to check on her mental welfare again, but said they did not believe she was a threat to her own safety or that of her daughter.

Doctors at Children's Medical Center said little Mariah continues her recovery. Monday, she underwent surgery for her throat injury. She has remained in a coma since. Doctors expect she will make a full recovery.

[MuffyBee]

So, this answers something that had been on my mind in this case and other similar cases:  Where was the dad?  And was she on medication and being treated (counseling)?

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/03/27/court-grants-cps-custody-of-1-year-old-whose-throat-was-cut/
Court Grants CPS Custody Of 1-Year-Old Whose Throat Was Cut
By Jason Allen & Bud Gillett, CBS 11 News
March 27, 2012

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A Dallas court has awarded Texas Child Protective Services custody of a one-year-old child whose throat was slashed early Monday. The girl will be in foster care until an April 10 hearing.

Mariah Busby was reportedly doing well late Tuesday, according to her aunt, Rhonda Choice, who is also the sister of the prime suspect in the attack, Danielle Busby.

“Just this morning they took her out of the coma,” Choice said of the baby, “and her big brown eyes were open and she smiled at us. And it just reminded me about the resilience that children have.”

The father of the girl said he cannot believe his estranged wife could have heart their child. James Busby said he hasnt’ been able to see Mariah since she was injured Monday morning.

“I don’t believe she just up and stuck that baby by herself like that,” James Busby said Tuesday night. “That ain’t her make-up.”

Before the incident, James Busby had last seen his wife and daughter Friday. he said there were no signs in his early morning phone call Monday that Danielle was having any difficulties with the paranoid schizophrenia she has been diagnosed with.
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Tuesday’s CPS decision capped a whirlwind day of events in which Danielle Busby’s family members said they had tried to get help for her.

“Danielle was not a criminal last week, Danielle is not a criminal this week. Danielle is sick,” the woman’s aunt, Lannette Swinton, said. “She is not a criminal, she is sick.”

Swinton claims that, besides the three calls to Dallas Police, she has personally sought help from Texas Child Protective Services.

On March 19 she called a referral hotline and talked to CPS operator.

“They asked me, ‘Do you feel like the baby’s in immediate danger?’ I said, ‘that depends, because if Danielle starts hearing voices, yes, that baby is in danger. And if she’s going to start hearing voices she’s off her medication.’

Swinton tells CBS11 News that Danielle Busby has been diagnosed as paranoid-schizophrenic; that she went off her meds on doctor’s orders when she got pregnant, but that she didn’t go back on them after Mariah was born.

Swinton says the family knew Danielle wasn’t “right” for weeks and sought help.

Danielle Busby’s arrest affidavit paints a grim picture. When officers arrived Monday, they reportedly “found a bloody steak knife on the bed,” and there was a “pool of blood where the knife was found.”

Swinton believes it could’ve been avoided had a state agency listened.
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CPS acknowledges getting a phone call on March 19 and attempted to follow up immediately, going to the house on two occasions and trying to reach someone by phone on a third day.

But no one called them back until after Monday’s attack.

Danielle Busby is in the Lew Sterrett Criminal Justice Center on a $150,000 bond.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dallas-baby-improving-after-alleged-attack-by-mom-144457755.html
Dallas baby recovering after alleged attack by mom
by REBECCA LOPEZ
March 27, 2012

DALLAS — A one-year-old girl whose throat had been slashed Monday was revived from a medically-induced coma on Tuesday, and doctors are optimistic about her recovery.

Police said Mariah Busby had been assaulted by her own mother, and new details of the alleged crime have now been released in police documents.

An affidavit states that when police arrived at the home of 32-year-old Danielle Busby on Monday morning, she was holding Mariah in her arms and her shirt was "drenched in blood." Officers noticed a stab wound in the baby's neck.

Investigators later "found a bloody steak knife" near a pool of blood in Busby's bedroom, according to the affidavit.

Mariah and her mother were alone in the home when this happened. The family said they were aware that Danielle Busby had problems, but didn't think she would try to kill her baby.
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Mariah is expected to survive the attack, and family members said they observed major progress in her recovery.

"Doctors say that she's going to recover fully from this," said Rhonda Choice, the baby's aunt. "Just this morning they took her out of the coma and her big brown eyes were open, and she smiled at us."

Late Tuesday afternoon, Child Protective Services filed a motion in a Dallas courtroom seeking temporary custody of Mariah. There will be a hearing in the next 10-14 days to determine where the baby will go.

When additional documents are released, we hope to find out how much CPS knew about Busby's medical history and her mental capacity. The agency has thus far declined to answer those questions.
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Relatives-Seek-Custody-of-Baby-Allegedly-Cut-by-Mother-146896285.html
Relatives Seek Custody of Baby Allegedly Cut by Mother
Judge orders home study of two different relatives
April 10, 2012

A Dallas judge ordered on Tuesday two different home studies to determine if any relatives of a baby allegedly cut by her mother are acceptable guardians.

One-year-old Moriah Busby was released from a hospital last week and has been staying with a foster family.

CPS will report the results of the home study to the judge on April 24. At that time, the judge will likely make a decision regarding Moriah's custody.
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Moriah's father, a convicted sex offender, is among those who would like to see her. Family members said they hope her father, who had visitation rights before Moriah was injured, might be able to see her again if they get custody.

"Our situation is that we would like to get her out of foster care so that her father can have some kind of relationship with her," said Gwen Hawkins, a relative.   

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Video at Link

[Sister]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Relatives-Seek-Custody-of-Baby-Allegedly-Cut-by-Mother-146896285.html
Relatives Seek Custody of Baby Allegedly Cut by Mother
Judge orders home study of two different relatives
April 10, 2012

A Dallas judge ordered on Tuesday two different home studies to determine if any relatives of a baby allegedly cut by her mother are acceptable guardians.

One-year-old Moriah Busby was released from a hospital last week and has been staying with a foster family.

CPS will report the results of the home study to the judge on April 24. At that time, the judge will likely make a decision regarding Moriah's custody.
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Moriah's father, a convicted sex offender, is among those who would like to see her. Family members said they hope her father, who had visitation rights before Moriah was injured, might be able to see her again if they get custody.

"Our situation is that we would like to get her out of foster care so that her father can have some kind of relationship with her," said Gwen Hawkins, a relative.   

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Video at Link

JMO, but why do people think a "relationship" with a bio is more important than the safety of a child.  These people knew this mom had not started taking her meds again, but didn't fight to take custody of the baby then.  I hope the judge is extremely careful with the future of this precious child.  I understand fully that foster care is risky also, but placing her with folks that have tunnel vision is not the answer either.