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Police: Woman Allegedly Cuts Arms Off Baby
POSTED: 4:33 pm EST November 22, 2004
UPDATED: 5:16 pm EST November 22, 2004
PLANO, Texas -- Police in Plano, Texas, arrested a woman accused of allegedly cutting the arms off her 11-month-old baby girl and have charged her with capital murder.
Police said Dena Schlosser, 35, was detained for questioning Monday after calling 911 to summon officers to the apartment. Police say the woman told them she cut off her baby's arms.
Police spokesman Carl Duke said the baby was taken to a Plano hospital, where she died.
A Child Protective Services spokeswoman said the agency had investigated the mother for either abuse or neglect involving the infant girl, shortly after her birth in January.
The spokeswoman told The Dallas Morning News that the mother had "postpartum depression."
The woman has two other children who were in school at the time of the incident, reported KXAS-TV in Dallas. It is believed that they will be released to the custody of their father.
http://www.wftv.com/news/3940422/detail.html
POSTED: 4:33 pm EST November 22, 2004
UPDATED: 5:16 pm EST November 22, 2004
PLANO, Texas -- Police in Plano, Texas, arrested a woman accused of allegedly cutting the arms off her 11-month-old baby girl and have charged her with capital murder.
Police said Dena Schlosser, 35, was detained for questioning Monday after calling 911 to summon officers to the apartment. Police say the woman told them she cut off her baby's arms.
Police spokesman Carl Duke said the baby was taken to a Plano hospital, where she died.
A Child Protective Services spokeswoman said the agency had investigated the mother for either abuse or neglect involving the infant girl, shortly after her birth in January.
The spokeswoman told The Dallas Morning News that the mother had "postpartum depression."
The woman has two other children who were in school at the time of the incident, reported KXAS-TV in Dallas. It is believed that they will be released to the custody of their father.
http://www.wftv.com/news/3940422/detail.html
PANIC NOW!!!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,468
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From: In your computer
That's 3 minutes away from my apartment :eek3:
Here is the article from the Dallas paper little longer :-/
Link
Here is the article from the Dallas paper little longer :-/
Link
ostpartum depression could have played role in baby's death
09:38 PM CST on Monday, November 22, 2004
By JENNIFER EMILY and TERRI LANGFORD / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO – A 10-month-old girl died Monday after her mother cut off her arms, police said. The 35-year-old woman, who has suffered from postpartum depression, was charged with capital murder.
Dena Audre Schlosser sat calmly in the living room when officers arrived after receiving a 911 call just before noon. Her clothes were covered in blood and the baby lay in her crib in a back bedroom. The child, whose name was not released, was alive when police arrived and died later at nearby Medical Center of Plano.
Ms. Schlosser told police she was responsible for the baby's injuries but declined to elaborate, police said. Police would not comment about why she may have killed the youngest of her three daughters. They would also not discuss whether investigators recovered a knife or other weapon.
"It doesn't appear to be accidental. Both arms were completely severed," said Officer Carl Duke, Plano police spokesman. "She was not talking when she left here. She was very quiet, subdued."
RICK GERSHON/Special Contributor
Plano police crime scene investigator Bill Lackey removed evidence from the apartment complex on Monday. Plano police said the child's injuries were horrifying.
"I've never had to face anything like this before," said Detective Bryan Wood. "And, frankly, I'd never want to.
"My sympathies go out to the family, and to the first responders on the scene."
Also Online
Audio: 911 call to Dena Schlosser
Video: Mary Ann Razzuk reports
Ms. Schlosser's husband and two other daughters, ages 6 and 9, lived in the downstairs apartment but were not home at the time. The older daughters, who were in school, have been placed in temporary foster care.
Ms. Schlosser had received a diagnosis of postpartum depression during a Child Protective Services neglect investigation early this year.
A CPS investigator was called to Ms. Schlosser's home Jan. 15 after she was seen running down the street, followed by her then-5-year-old daughter, who was on a bicycle. When police and CPS arrived at the scene, the child told them her mother had left her 6-day-old sister alone in the family's apartment. None of the children were injured.
"Mom started walking and running from the apartment," CPS spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said. "Someone called law enforcement, and she was obviously having some sort of psychotic episode."
Ms. Schlosser was taken to a Collin County medical center where she was hospitalized for a few days, Ms. Gonzales said. Her children were released to their father, who told authorities she had been acting strangely since the birth of the third child on Jan. 9.
Once the woman was released from the hospital in January, she agreed to seek counseling and see a psychiatrist, Ms. Gonzales said.
The woman kept all of her appointments and at one time was given a prescription for a psychotropic drug. But sometime between January and August, the woman was taken off the medication, Ms. Gonzales said.
"We had received assurances that Mom was stable, from the people who were dealing with her, the professionals," Geoffrey Wool, CPS spokesman in Austin, said of her doctors' decision to take her off the medication.
CPS caseworkers continued to visit the family through the spring and summer, the last time on July 29.
"She was doing well," Ms. Gonzales said.
The case was closed Aug. 9 and classified with a finding of "Reason To Believe-Neglectful Supervision."
"At the time we had closed the case, we had been assured she was stabilized and she posed no risk to herself or her children, to the extent that you can predict these things," Mr. Wool said.
The baby's death shocked residents of the apartment complex, which is home to numerous families.
Michael Lujan, 25, who lives in the same building, said he often saw Ms. Schlosser and her children having picnics under the trees near their building. He said she stayed home with the children while her husband worked. Her older daughter often rode her bike.
"I'm in shock," said Mr. Lujan, who has two children. "She seemed sweet to me ... just like any other mother. She was loving and tended to their needs."
Others wondered how something like this could happen.
"What would drive a person to do that?" questioned resident Jacob Hopland, 22. "I know kids are hard to handle, but you have to step up and be a good parent."
Officer Duke said Ms. Schlosser was not talking with officers at the police station about what happened. No previous criminal record could be found.
Mood problems are common up to two weeks after giving birth, said J. Douglas Crowder, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"That's the so-called baby blues," Dr. Crowder said. "When it goes longer than that, you need to be concerned."
Postpartum symptoms are the same as those of common depression, Dr. Crowder said. Mood swings, loss of appetite, insomnia, fatigue and thoughts of suicide are typical. At its worst psychotic level, mothers may hallucinate or sometimes conclude that children are hopelessly flawed and better off dead.
But he said violence toward children is uncommon.
Dr. Crowder said a law that went into effect last year requires doctors to warn parents of the effects of postpartum depression.
The law was precipitated by the case involving Andrea Yates of Houston, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for drowning three of her five children, he said. It is meant to prompt families to seek medical help for women who display symptoms.
Staff writers Tim Wyatt and Mike Jackson contributed to this report.
E-mail jemily@dallasnews.com and tlangford@dallasnews.com
ABOUT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Symptoms
With postpartum depression, signs and symptoms such as anger, crying and sadness are more intense and longer lasting than the baby blues. They may interfere with the ability to function and can include:
A sense of emotional numbness or feeling trapped.
Fear of hurting yourself or your baby.
Impaired thinking or concentration.
Lack of joy in life.
Less interest in sex.
Excessive or lack of concern for your baby.
Significant weight loss or gain.
Withdrawal from family and friends.
Headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations, numbness or hyperventilation also can occur, although they're not classic symptoms of depression.
Postpartum psychosis
With postpartum psychosis, the symptoms are even more severe and usually occur early. They include:
Anger and agitation.
Confusion and disorientation.
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
Hallucinations and delusions.
Paranoia.
Strange thoughts or statements.
Tips
If you have postpartum depression, you can take steps to aid your recovery:
Practice good health habits. Get as much rest as you can. Rest or sleep while your baby sleeps. Exercise and eat a nutritious diet, emphasizing grains, fruits and vegetables.
If you feel like the world is coming down around you, take some time for yourself. Get dressed, leave the house and visit a friend or run an errand. Or schedule some time alone with your partner.
Avoid isolation. Talk with your partner, family and friends about how you're feeling. Also talk with other mothers so that you can learn from their experiences. Ask your doctor about groups for new moms in your community or support groups for women with postpartum depression.
Have realistic expectations. Scale back your expectations of having the perfect household. Do as much as you comfortably can and leave the rest. Ask for occasional help with child care and household responsibilities from friends and family.
09:38 PM CST on Monday, November 22, 2004
By JENNIFER EMILY and TERRI LANGFORD / The Dallas Morning News
PLANO – A 10-month-old girl died Monday after her mother cut off her arms, police said. The 35-year-old woman, who has suffered from postpartum depression, was charged with capital murder.
Dena Audre Schlosser sat calmly in the living room when officers arrived after receiving a 911 call just before noon. Her clothes were covered in blood and the baby lay in her crib in a back bedroom. The child, whose name was not released, was alive when police arrived and died later at nearby Medical Center of Plano.
Ms. Schlosser told police she was responsible for the baby's injuries but declined to elaborate, police said. Police would not comment about why she may have killed the youngest of her three daughters. They would also not discuss whether investigators recovered a knife or other weapon.
"It doesn't appear to be accidental. Both arms were completely severed," said Officer Carl Duke, Plano police spokesman. "She was not talking when she left here. She was very quiet, subdued."
RICK GERSHON/Special Contributor
Plano police crime scene investigator Bill Lackey removed evidence from the apartment complex on Monday. Plano police said the child's injuries were horrifying.
"I've never had to face anything like this before," said Detective Bryan Wood. "And, frankly, I'd never want to.
"My sympathies go out to the family, and to the first responders on the scene."
Also Online
Audio: 911 call to Dena Schlosser
Video: Mary Ann Razzuk reports
Ms. Schlosser's husband and two other daughters, ages 6 and 9, lived in the downstairs apartment but were not home at the time. The older daughters, who were in school, have been placed in temporary foster care.
Ms. Schlosser had received a diagnosis of postpartum depression during a Child Protective Services neglect investigation early this year.
A CPS investigator was called to Ms. Schlosser's home Jan. 15 after she was seen running down the street, followed by her then-5-year-old daughter, who was on a bicycle. When police and CPS arrived at the scene, the child told them her mother had left her 6-day-old sister alone in the family's apartment. None of the children were injured.
"Mom started walking and running from the apartment," CPS spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said. "Someone called law enforcement, and she was obviously having some sort of psychotic episode."
Ms. Schlosser was taken to a Collin County medical center where she was hospitalized for a few days, Ms. Gonzales said. Her children were released to their father, who told authorities she had been acting strangely since the birth of the third child on Jan. 9.
Once the woman was released from the hospital in January, she agreed to seek counseling and see a psychiatrist, Ms. Gonzales said.
The woman kept all of her appointments and at one time was given a prescription for a psychotropic drug. But sometime between January and August, the woman was taken off the medication, Ms. Gonzales said.
"We had received assurances that Mom was stable, from the people who were dealing with her, the professionals," Geoffrey Wool, CPS spokesman in Austin, said of her doctors' decision to take her off the medication.
CPS caseworkers continued to visit the family through the spring and summer, the last time on July 29.
"She was doing well," Ms. Gonzales said.
The case was closed Aug. 9 and classified with a finding of "Reason To Believe-Neglectful Supervision."
"At the time we had closed the case, we had been assured she was stabilized and she posed no risk to herself or her children, to the extent that you can predict these things," Mr. Wool said.
The baby's death shocked residents of the apartment complex, which is home to numerous families.
Michael Lujan, 25, who lives in the same building, said he often saw Ms. Schlosser and her children having picnics under the trees near their building. He said she stayed home with the children while her husband worked. Her older daughter often rode her bike.
"I'm in shock," said Mr. Lujan, who has two children. "She seemed sweet to me ... just like any other mother. She was loving and tended to their needs."
Others wondered how something like this could happen.
"What would drive a person to do that?" questioned resident Jacob Hopland, 22. "I know kids are hard to handle, but you have to step up and be a good parent."
Officer Duke said Ms. Schlosser was not talking with officers at the police station about what happened. No previous criminal record could be found.
Mood problems are common up to two weeks after giving birth, said J. Douglas Crowder, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"That's the so-called baby blues," Dr. Crowder said. "When it goes longer than that, you need to be concerned."
Postpartum symptoms are the same as those of common depression, Dr. Crowder said. Mood swings, loss of appetite, insomnia, fatigue and thoughts of suicide are typical. At its worst psychotic level, mothers may hallucinate or sometimes conclude that children are hopelessly flawed and better off dead.
But he said violence toward children is uncommon.
Dr. Crowder said a law that went into effect last year requires doctors to warn parents of the effects of postpartum depression.
The law was precipitated by the case involving Andrea Yates of Houston, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 for drowning three of her five children, he said. It is meant to prompt families to seek medical help for women who display symptoms.
Staff writers Tim Wyatt and Mike Jackson contributed to this report.
E-mail jemily@dallasnews.com and tlangford@dallasnews.com
ABOUT POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION
Symptoms
With postpartum depression, signs and symptoms such as anger, crying and sadness are more intense and longer lasting than the baby blues. They may interfere with the ability to function and can include:
A sense of emotional numbness or feeling trapped.
Fear of hurting yourself or your baby.
Impaired thinking or concentration.
Lack of joy in life.
Less interest in sex.
Excessive or lack of concern for your baby.
Significant weight loss or gain.
Withdrawal from family and friends.
Headaches, chest pains, heart palpitations, numbness or hyperventilation also can occur, although they're not classic symptoms of depression.
Postpartum psychosis
With postpartum psychosis, the symptoms are even more severe and usually occur early. They include:
Anger and agitation.
Confusion and disorientation.
Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
Hallucinations and delusions.
Paranoia.
Strange thoughts or statements.
Tips
If you have postpartum depression, you can take steps to aid your recovery:
Practice good health habits. Get as much rest as you can. Rest or sleep while your baby sleeps. Exercise and eat a nutritious diet, emphasizing grains, fruits and vegetables.
If you feel like the world is coming down around you, take some time for yourself. Get dressed, leave the house and visit a friend or run an errand. Or schedule some time alone with your partner.
Avoid isolation. Talk with your partner, family and friends about how you're feeling. Also talk with other mothers so that you can learn from their experiences. Ask your doctor about groups for new moms in your community or support groups for women with postpartum depression.
Have realistic expectations. Scale back your expectations of having the perfect household. Do as much as you comfortably can and leave the rest. Ask for occasional help with child care and household responsibilities from friends and family.
PANIC NOW!!!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 0
From: In your computer
The operator asks what happened to the baby.
Ms. Schlosser: "I cut her arms off."
Operator: "You cut her arms off?"
Ms. Schlosser: "Mm-hmm."
Operator: "Is she [the baby] conscious?
Ms. Schlosser: "No."
Operator: "Is she breathing?"
Ms. Schlosser: "No."
Operator: "Can you get as close to the baby as possible?"
Ms. Schlosser: "She's in the other room."
Operator: "Do you want to help the baby, ma'am?"
Ms. Schlosser: "Yeah ..."
Operator: "OK, then I need you to bring the baby by the phone so we can help you, ma'am."
Ms. Schlosser: "OK."
The call soon disconnects.
Ms. Schlosser: "I cut her arms off."
Operator: "You cut her arms off?"
Ms. Schlosser: "Mm-hmm."
Operator: "Is she [the baby] conscious?
Ms. Schlosser: "No."
Operator: "Is she breathing?"
Ms. Schlosser: "No."
Operator: "Can you get as close to the baby as possible?"
Ms. Schlosser: "She's in the other room."
Operator: "Do you want to help the baby, ma'am?"
Ms. Schlosser: "Yeah ..."
Operator: "OK, then I need you to bring the baby by the phone so we can help you, ma'am."
Ms. Schlosser: "OK."
The call soon disconnects.