Inset: Natricia Ann Wright (Monroe Police Department). Background: A section of Bragg Street in Monroe, North Carolina (Google Maps).
In a tragic case unfolding in North Carolina, a mother faces serious charges after allegedly causing the death of her baby by sleeping beside the child. This incident marks a disturbing repeat for the woman, as she has faced similar accusations in the past.
Authorities have charged 27-year-old Natricia Ann Wright with involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse, according to statements from the Monroe Police Department.
Following her arrest, Wright was detained at the Union County Detention Center, with a secured bond set at $750,000.
The troubling event occurred on May 18, around 10 a.m., when police were summoned to a residence on Bragg Street in Monroe. Responding to reports of an unresponsive infant, officers arrived at the scene in the Charlotte suburb.
Though officers say they “immediately began lifesaving efforts” and medical personnel arrived and did the same, the infant was pronounced dead.
Detectives began investigating and “uncovered that the infant died as a result of co-sleeping,” according to law enforcement.
Police said that after “carefully reviewing the facts of the case, detectives determined that criminal charges were appropriate,” and on Thursday, they charged her with the crime.
“First and foremost, our hearts go out to this child and everyone affected by this heartbreaking loss,” said Monroe Police Chief Rhett Bolen. “There is nothing that can adequately express the tragedy of losing a child, and we recognize that this investigation has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved. Our detectives have spent nearly three months carefully working to understand exactly what happened and to make decisions based on facts and evidence. These charges are the result of that investigation and the specific circumstances uncovered by our detectives.”
This was reportedly not the first time Wright was accused of killing a child.
According to regional CBS affiliate WBTV, after a 5-month-old boy died in May 2020, Wright — his mother — and the boy’s father were accused of killing him.
On May 20, 2020, authorities say someone called 911 about an unresponsive child. Emergency responders arrived and pronounced the boy dead.
The baby reportedly suffered from chronic malnutrition after Wright and the father allegedly failed to provide adequate food or healthcare for months from December 2020 through May 2020. An arrest warrant said this time frame matched most of, if not all, of the child’s life.
Wright and the father were charged in August 2020, and three years later, they pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of placing a child at risk of harm or willfully abandoning a child, and they were placed on probation.
For the more recent case, Wright’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 24.
The post Mother who pleaded guilty in 5-month-old’s death by failing to give him nutrition killed her 2-month-old years later, police say first appeared on Law & Crime.