A Monessen woman will stand trial for criminal homicide for the death of her 7-month-old son, who was left unattended in a bathtub.
Seairia D. Henderson, 22, of 328 Highland Manor, cried Friday as her friends testified during her preliminary hearing that she was outside when her son, Malachi, and 2-year-old daughter, Ah-reah, were left alone in an upstairs bathtub Sept. 11.
Malachi died two days later at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. An autopsy performed by Dr. Cyril Wecht determined the cause of death was lack of oxygen to the brain because of submersion in water.
Monessen police arrested Henderson Sept. 22, a week after she buried her son, and charged her with criminal homicide and two counts each of endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.
District Judge Joseph Dalfonso ordered her held for court on all charges during the emotional preliminary hearing.
Sable Ford testified she stayed overnight at Henderson's home and awoke sick around 1 p.m. the next day. She said she went to the upstairs bathroom where both children were in the bathtub with the water running. Malachi was in an infant bathtub seat.
"I told her, 'Don't forget the kids,' and she said, 'OK, I know,'" Ford said through tears.
Ford told Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Barbara A. Jollie she then left the residence to get medicine from her sister, who was staying at a neighbor's apartment across the street in the housing plan.
Ford said she saw Henderson outside talking to Keiauna Davis and Anthony Porter while she was across the street.
Ford testified she had cautioned Henderson in the past about leaving the children unattended in the bathtub.
Davis, of Summit Avenue, testified she had walked to Highland Manor and sat in Porter's car with Henderson for about 20 minutes, sharing a cigarette.
Davis said after Henderson went back into the house, she saw her daughter standing at the door naked.
"I went over, and that's when I heard Seairia screaming for help and doing CPR on Malachi," Davis said. "She was hysterical. She couldn't even tell me what was going on."
During cross-examination by Henderson's attorney, Brian Aston, Ford and Davis described Henderson as a good mother who often played outside with her children.
"She cooked for them, played with them. That's why Ah-reah is so smart," Ford testified.
Davis described Henderson as a "single mother trying to do everything for her kids," relying on her mother and friends for help.
After Henderson called 911, Lt. Carl Fronzaglio and Officer Jim Franks arrived at the home and saw the baby lying naked on the living room floor with Henderson attempting to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation via instructions from a 911 dispatcher.
Police officers took over CPR and noted that a large amount of water was coming out of the baby's nose and mouth, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Mon Valley Emergency Medical Services paramedic Shawn Cummings testified the infant was "limp, ashen, unresponsive," and had no pulse when they arrived.
After the hearing, Henderson continued to cry as her friends and relatives in the courtroom hugged and kissed her as they left.
Aston said Henderson is suffering.
"It really doesn't matter what happens to her through the criminal justice system, because what she's doing to herself and what she's going through now is worse than anything the justice system can inflict on her," Aston said. "She's isolated from her family. She just lost her son through a tragic accident. It's just a horrible, horrible situation that affects everybody."
Her friends rallied to her defense after the hearing, saying the homicide charge isn't justified.
Siobhan Ford, Sable's sister, called Malachi's death a "tragic accident."
"She will be punished the rest of her life. I just don't agree with the homicide charge," she said.
Davis said Henderson "knows she messed up."
"The pain she is feeling now is worse than anything that will happen to her," Davis said.
Aston said Henderson's daughter and another child of hers who was not at home when the incident occurred, are staying with relatives.
Henderson was returned to the Westmoreland County Prison where she is being held without bond.
