5-month-old baby killed in clothes dryer in Harvey

by The Times-Picayune

Thursday September 11, 2008, 10:08 PM

A 5-month-old boy was killed in Harvey Thursday when his baby sitter allegedly put him in her clothes dryer because she had become frustrated with him, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

The baby sitter, Ariel Smith, 19, was booked with first-degree murder.

Smith, of 512 MacArthur Drive in Harvey, called 911 shortly before 11:15 a.m. and reported a baby at that location who was not breathing, said JPSO spokesman Col. John Fortunato.

First responders found the child, Andre Jenkins, lying on the floor unresponsive at that address, the JPSO spokesman said. The child was pronounced dead on the scene.

JPSO investigators learned the infant was dropped off along with his 18-month-old brother at Smith's home Thursday morning by his mother, identified as Brandy Dozier, Fortunato said.

Smith first told investigators that burns on the child's body were received when his brother pushed a pot of boiling water from her stove onto the child, he said.

Under questioning by homicide detective Keith Locascio, Smith later admitted the infant sustained the burns when she placed him into the clothes dryer, turned it on and left the room, Fortunato said.

"She stated she was frustrated with the child, " Fortunato said.

When she returned, the child wasn't breathing, she told investigators, Fortunato said.

Dozier, the child's mother, said she left for work after dropping off the children and later received a call from Smith telling her that the child had stopped breathing, Fortunato said.