A mother has been arrested after her 17-month-old son was found dead inside of a hotel room freezer in Arizona.
Police in the city of Flagstaff, Arizona, responded to reports of a possible dead infant at the La Quinta Inn & Suites on the morning of Sunday, May 17.
The mother, Ochra Manakaja, called 911 around 9:30 a.m. to report that her child was dead, according to AZ Family. The dispatcher then asked what happened and she reportedly said she “killed him” before she hung up, per the outlet.
Officers reported to the hotel and found the child’s body wrapped in a tote inside a clear plastic box. Authorities also found a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy inside the room, who were both unharmed.
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Manakaja, 31, told police that she grew frustrated and threw the toddler into his crib on April 29 because he was crying and fussing, according to AZ Family. The boy’s symptoms progressively got worse, and he reportedly developed a fever on May 1. Manakaja added that she didn’t seek medical help because she was afraid of getting into trouble, per court documents.
She said she checked on the toddler one morning and found him lying face up with his eyes closed and noticed that he wasn’t breathing. Manakaja told police she believed her son choked after he vomited earlier that morning sometime after the older boys left for school.
Manakaja said she didn’t want to leave her youngest son, though she had to go get a drug test taken because she was on probation for a DUI. After she took the test, she returned to her son and allegedly wrapped his body in a blanket, covered him in plastic, taped his body and put him in the freezer. She then allegedly left his body there for two weeks.
The mother reportedly expressed remorse while speaking to police, saying that she “f***ed up” and that her son didn’t deserve to die.
She was arrested on Monday, May 18, on charges including first-degree murder, child abuse and concealment of a dead body, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.
Manakaja appeared in court on the same day as her arrest and was booked into the Coconino County Jail on a $1 million bond.
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It is not currently clear if Manakaja has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Flagstaff Police Department told Us Weekly they have no additional information to share regarding the case.
The investigation into the boy’s death remains ongoing and a medical examiner will officially determine his cause of the death.
Police do not believe there are any other suspects involved in the case, according to Fox 10 Phoenix. However, authorities have asked that anyone with information on the case call them at 928-774-1414 or call Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
