A 29-year-old Arkansas woman, Tessa Jonell Thompson, is facing murder charges after she allegedly slammed to death a baby boy in her care. She is then accused of trying to hide the devastating injury with makeup.
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As reported by Law & Crime, citing a probable cause affidavit, the incident occurred on August 29. At the time, emergency services were called to Thompson’s residence in Midway, Arkansas. They had received a report of a “barely breathing” baby.
The baby was rushed to Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home. However, an investigator with the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office was called shortly after. The baby, as per the affidavit, presented an “obvious bruising on the right side of his face.”
The medical staff told the investigator that, when the baby boy arrived, the injury was covered with makeup, as if someone was “attempting to conceal the injury,” the affidavit said.
The baby was intubated given his injuries, and was diagnosed with a brain bleed. After being transferred to a Little Rock hospital on August 30, the baby was tragically pronounced dead.
Alleged Admission
In an interview with the police, Thompson revealed that she had taken in the baby boy and her 2-year-old sister for about a week. The children’s biological mother, she explained, “did not have a stable home,” so they were placed in her care, according to the affidavit. The woman also lived with her 5-year-old daughter and her mother.
However, things got worse as Thompson’s mother brought the children to the sheriff’s office. The affidavit alleged that the 2-year-old girl had a “large bruise” and her cheek, believed to be caused by an object or by a hand or fist.
Thompson allegedly admitted to slamming the baby boy in his playpen. The affidavit said that she initially claimed to have pushed the infant down, hitting the back of his head. However, when confronted by the nature of the injury, Thompson allegedly confessed to striking the boy “with an open palm” earlier in the day.
After the boy was struck, Thompson waited for up to 15 minutes. Then, she put makeup on the injury, the affidavit alleged. Reportedly, moments later, that’s when Thompson noticed the boy was not breathing.
Regarding the 2-year-old bruising, Thompson allegedly admitted to hitting her on the face because “she was crying.”
Mother Arrested And Charged
Tessa Jonell Thompson was placed under arrest. On Thursday, September 4, she was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree domestic battery causing serious injury, and second-degree domestic battery. She is being held at the Baxter County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
The 2-year-old girl is currently being cared for by a friend of the biological mother. Thompson’s 5-year-old was handed over to the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.