MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A month after a baby was rushed to the hospital from a South Mendenhall apartment complex, the mother’s boyfriend has been charged with his murder.
The woman who was letting the couple say with her and tried to save the child is still trying to figure out what happened.
“When the ambulance came that’s when I freaked out. I couldn’t freak out because the baby needed me at that time,” Jessica Smith told WREG’s Melissa Moon on Wednesday.
Smith performed CPR on the six-month-old boy after his mother woke her up and called 911. She said at the time, her brother, his girlfriend and her three young kids were staying her her home at the Eden at Watersedge.
According to police, the victim, two other children and Allen Smith Junior were all sleeping in the same room when the victim started crying. Smith allegedly became upset when the child didn’t go back to sleep and choked him.
The child was transported to Baptist East Hospital and was unresponsive when he arrived. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
Smith said she still has nightmares about the baby’s death.
“I knew the baby was gone when I seen the baby’s hands, fingers. They were purple.”
I can’t put it in my head that my brother did it. Because he used to watch my kids. He has kids.”
Smith was arrested this week and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
