A Queens mother has been indicted and charged with manslaughter after allegedly starving her 7-month-old child to death, the Queens district attorney said.
Carla Garriques was indicted and arraigned Thursday at Queens Supreme Court after her baby boy died on Oct. 30, 2020, as a result of severe malnutrition and medical neglect, District Attorney Melinda Katz said. In addition to first-degree manslaughter, the 28-year-old Garriques also faces a child endangerment charge.
"The infant’s mother was the sole caregiver who neglected medical attention and failed to provide basic sustenance for life to this helpless victim," Katz said.
According to the charges, Garriques' son Kamari was born in March 2020, weighing less than six pounds. While the two were living in Florida at the time, Kamari was treated twice at a Broward County hospital at 5 and 6 weeks old. He had gained about a pound and a half and was healthy, court papers said, but at around the time Kamari was 2 months old, Garriques allegedly switched the baby's diet from breast milk and formula to blended fruits, vegetables and nuts.
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The mother and child moved to a home on Liberty Avenue in the St. Albans neighborhood of Queens in early October, according to court papers. Between the ages of 2 and 6 months, little Kamari gained just two pounds.
Police and EMTs responded to the home after a 911 call just before 10 p.m. on Oct. 30, according to the charges, finding Kamari unresponsive and without a pulse. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after.
At the time of his death, Kamari weighed just nine pounds, five ounces — about half of what a typical 7- to 8-month-old weighs.
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Katz said that an autopsy showed the severe malnutrition, dehydration, loss of muscle mass and bone demineralization. The child also had an enlarged liver, an extensive kidney infection and sepsis, the DA said. medical evidence showed that the baby had allegedly dealt with malnutrition for a prolonged amount of time.
"This baby was delivered at full term and born healthy. Tragically, during seven short months of life he suffered with too little food and barely any medical care. He died underweight with loss of muscle, bone and other maladies," said Katz.
