La. sitter Arielle Smith charged with baby Andre Jenkins death in dryer

[MuffyBee]

Jan 9, 9:49 AM EST

La. sitter charged with baby's death in dryer


GRETNA, La. (AP) -- A Louisiana baby sitter is charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors say she put a baby into a spinning clothes dryer for disturbing her television watching.

Nineteen-year-old Arielle Smith was indicted by a grand jury Thursday for the baby's September death in the New Orleans suburb of Harvey.

Authorities said 5-month-old Andre Jenkins died at the scene from skull fractures and burns suffered in the dryer.

Prosecutors said Smith was watching the baby and two older children at her home. She told police the children were being rambunctious and interfering with her television watching.

Investigators said Smith put the baby in the dryer and turned it on for 3 minutes while the two older children were put in another room.

Smith's attorney declined comment.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INFANT_KILLED?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

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UPDATE 1-10-2009: On Thursday, a grand jury ruled that the 19-year-old Arielle Smith should stand trial on a second degree murder charge after she was ruled mentally competent.

NEW ORLEANS - 19-year-old Arielle Smith was placed in charge of 5-month-old Andre Jenkins and his 18-month-old brother. Their mother had dropped them off at her home to go to work. Some time later, the mother, Brandy Dozier, received a phone call from Smith telling her that Andre was not breathing.

When police arrived, they found Andre dead with burns on his body.  Ariel Smith initially told them it came from an accidental spill of boiling water. She later confessed to putting the boy in a dryer and turning it on. She stated that the children were being rambunctious and interfering with her watching the day time soaps.  She sent the two older children in another room, and placed Andre in a dryer after removing the clothes that were already in it.

She came back 3-minutes later to find Andre not breathing. She took Andre out, put the clothes back in and then called her boyfriend and Andre’s mother. When paramedics arrived, they found Andre dead on the living room floor. Andre suffered skull fractures as well as burns on his feet, face, head, arms and legs. She was initially arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder. This charge carried a death penalty, but a magistrate judge found evidence sufficient to hold her on the lesser charge  of second-degree murder which could mean she would spend the rest of her life in prison. Arielle now sits in the  Parish Correctional Center in lieu of a $500,000 bond .

http://www.dreamindemon.com/2008/09/12/ariel-smith-uses-clothes-dryer-to-kill-infant/comment-page-1/