An Alabama mother is accused of killing her special-needs infant son by allegedly putting a deadly chemical mixture into the feeding tube he relied on to survive, authorities said.
Kaitlynn Dominick, of Daphne, was arrested Tuesday and charged with manslaughter and aggravated child abuse.
Investigators with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said Dominick allegedly administered a chemical concoction through the feeding tube of her 17-month-old son, Patrick, who had an undisclosed chronic medical condition, on May 4. Authorities say the child died the following morning, according to a sheriff’s office press release.
The substance was described as a mixture of table salt and an undisclosed liquid, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox 10.
BCSO Capt. Justin Correa said the mixture “may not have presented the way it did” in a healthy adult, but for a child with existing medical conditions, it could have triggered “a greater medical emergency.”
According to investigators, Dominick took Patrick to USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital after he experienced a medical emergency that was allegedly caused by the liquid administered through his feeding tube.
Following Patrick’s death, medical staff reportedly raised concerns after reviewing his lab results, which they considered suspicious.
Investigators said Dominick, 22, provided conflicting accounts of the events surrounding the incident.
According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, she later admitted to giving her medically fragile son a liquid that allegedly led to his death.
Baby Patrick died on May 5 after his mother brought him to the hospital.
“I do believe that she did know that this would harm the child,” Baldwin County Chief Assistant District Attorney Teresa Heinz told Cleveland 19 News.
Patrick’s obituary described him as a child who “was full of joy and found magic in the smallest details of the world around him.”
According to online records, Dominick was released from custody Thursday after posting a $75,000 bond.
As part of her release conditions, she has been placed on GPS-monitored house arrest and is prohibited from having contact with anyone under the age of 18.
She is scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing on June 9.
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