MIDDLESBORO, Ky. – A woman in Kentucky was taken into custody Sunday after her toddler died from injuries consistent with physical and sexual abuse.
Erica Lawson, 21, of Mount Vernon, Kentucky was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter, first-degree criminal abuse against a child under 12, first-degree wanton endangerment and failure to report child neglect, the New York Post reported.
Lisa Fugate is the Bell County Commonwealth Attorney. She told local news outlet WATE that the 17-month-old child showed signs of sexual and physical abuse when she was admitted to a hospital July 28. The toddler was placed on life support, but her injuries were too severe and she was unable to recover.
According to a report from WRIL-FM, the child was brain dead when she died on Sunday after being raped and beaten.
Once the condition of the child was reported, the Middlesboro Police Department quickly began an investigation to determine who was responsible for the abuse. The agency was joined by the Bell County Department of Child Services, WREG reported.
Lawson was interviewed Sunday evening before she was taken into custody. She was subsequently booked at the Bell County Detention Center, where she is being held on a $1 million bond.
It remains unclear if additional suspect(s) are a target in the investigation.
Media outlets sought additional details from the Bell County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the Middlesboro Police Department, but no further information was immediately available.
