MD - Bel Air Mother Arrested for Murder of Her Son, Jason Garcia, 3, During Custody Dispute 10 December 2023

[tlcya]

Police in Bel Air, Md., allege that a Harford County Sheriff’s Deputy was driving early Sunday morning when he saw a woman, identified as Gloria Elena Hughes, 37, standing in the street holding a lifeless child. The deputy immediately called for assistance.
[snip]
According to charging documents obtained by WUSA, WBALTV and WLBT, Hughes was allegedly shown on surveillance video banging her son into the ground several times.
Mom Charged with Murder After Deputy Driving by Allegedly Notices Her Holding Lifeless Son: Police

“It’s just heartbreaking. If there’s evil, that’s pure evil. That’s pure evil when you see something like that, and it hurts all of us,” said Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore.

Police charging documents indicate Hughes was captured on the business’ surveillance video banging her son’s head against the asphalt several times. The video also allegedly showed her grabbing his legs and slamming him onto the ground.
Mother beat 3-year-old son to death in ‘pure evil’ attack, police say

Hughes and her child had checked into Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Maryland on Saturday, according to Bel Air Police Cpl. Keith Smithson.

The child was admitted to the emergency room after he reportedly ingested a boric acid suppository, Smithson said. He said surveillance video showed Hughes leaving the hospital with the child early Sunday morning.

Surveillance video next showed Hughes and Garcia near a storage facility in Bel Air, Maryland, about five hours after they were discharged from the hospital, Smithson said.

That surveillance video captured what Smithson described as a “heinous assault.”
Morganton toddler killed by mom in Maryland, cops say

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Sincere condolences to the victim's papa and his other relatives.

 

[Willow Knight]

The documents allege the child was also in the emergency room the night before, having ingested acid, per the reports.
WUSA also reported, citing documents, that the boy’s father had alerted police in North Carolina Saturday morning to a custody dispute.

Mom Charged with Murder After Deputy Driving by Allegedly Notices Her Holding Lifeless Son: Police

Gloria Hughes is charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

people.com

The child had ingested acid the night before? A custody battle?

Just when I think I cannot be shocked again. This poor little one, it makes me sick.

 

[tlcya]

The documents allege the child was also in the emergency room the night before, having ingested acid, per the reports.
WUSA also reported, citing documents, that the boy’s father had alerted police in North Carolina Saturday morning to a custody dispute.

Mom Charged with Murder After Deputy Driving by Allegedly Notices Her Holding Lifeless Son: Police

Gloria Hughes is charged with first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

people.com

The child had ingested acid the night before? A custody battle?

Just when I think I cannot be shocked again. This poor little one, it makes me sick.

Yeah, the articles just make this quick reference to the child being at the ER the evening before having ingested boric acid suppository and it makes me wonder. Did the child ingest it on accident or was it given to the toddler by mom or what were the circumstances around that? Was that her first attempt to kill him or was she worried the baby ingesting the poison would hurt her in the custody case or . . .

 

[orchidaceaes]

Initially, I thought that the boric acid incident was intentional on the part of the mother, given the horrific and brutal beating she did to this poor toddler. The father said in one of the linked articles above that he called police about the custody dispute Saturday morning, meaning that the co-parenting relationship was especially strained that day, and the ER visit happened that night. I wonder what made him call the police?

On second thought, though, it makes more sense to me that it was an accident. The only thing I know boric acid suppositories to be used for is stubborn yeast infections. Some people keep multiple of them on hand when they feel a yeast infection coming on to stop it before it gets too bad. While boric acid is toxic and all the packaging I've seen for boric acid suppositories has had clear warnings not to allow them near children, I don't think they would come to anyone's mind when plotting to intentionally harm someone. Some sort of powerful cleaner, like bleach, is far more commonly used and known by everyone to be dangerous. Also, he was taken to the ER and treated. Perhaps this (accidental or intentional) ingestion and ER visit caused fighting between mother and father, already in a strained custody dispute, and she horrifyingly took her anger out on her defenseless toddler.

Either way, it's sick. Reading what that woman did to that poor child brought tears to my eyes. Who could be so violent toward any child, much less a toddler, and much less one’s own? Poor baby! RIP Jason.

 

[vls12345]

Morganton woman accused of killing son in Maryland found incompetent for now

BEL AIR, Md. — A Morganton woman accused of killing her 3-year-old son in Maryland was found incompetent to stand trial at this point in time, according to court records.

morganton.com

 

[tlcya]

The case still is open, and will be reviewed again on June 20, according to court records.
Morganton woman accused of killing son in Maryland found incompetent for now