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Mother charged in death of infant
Coroner's office says 31/2-week-old girl died of burns from microwave.
By Cathy Mong
Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
DAYTON — A 26-year-old mother was arrested Monday by Dayton police
in the homicide of her 3½-week-old daughter, Paris Talley, on Aug.
30, 2005, a death officials said they believe was caused when the child
was burned in a microwave oven.
China Arnold was picked up at her house, 3612 E. Second St., about 2:30
p.m. on a warrant for a charge of aggravated murder, Sgt. Gary White said.
Arnold was taken to the Montgomery County Jail. The warrant was issued
last week.
Ken Betz, director of the Montgomery County Coroner's Office, said, "We
have reason to believe and scientific evidence to support that a microwave
oven might have been involved in the death of this child." The cause
of death was ruled a homicide at the time, by hyperthermia due to thermal
injury.
The baby's death was only the second on record in the nation believed
caused by microwave oven. A 20-year-old Virginia mother was convicted
of involuntary manslaughter on Sept. 26, 2000, in the death of her 5-week-old
son.
"That's what made this case so difficult," Betz said. "We're
in an area where there's not a lot of scientific research on the effect
of microwave on human beings."
Additional evidence recently came to light that helped prosecutors approve
the arrest warrant, he said. "There were no external signs, like
scalding water."
White said the mother had custody at the time of Paris' death. When Arnold
brought her to Children's Medical Center on Aug. 30, 2005, "the baby
was dead. The investigation commenced at that point," he said.
"The police department is satisfied we've helped bring some justice
so far to Paris' homicide," White said.
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