BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Police arrested a grandmother and mother after a 4-year-old died after allegedly forcing the child to drink whiskey.
The Baton Rouge Police Department said the toddler, China Record, was found unresponsive at a home in the 12000 block of Wallis Street on the morning of Thursday, April 21.
BRPD arrested 28-year-old Kadjah Record and 53-year-old Roxanne Record for the death of the 4-year-old. Through investigation, officials learned that the grandmother allegedly forced China to consume a bottle of whiskey while the mother watched. Police said the child was allegedly forced to drink alcohol as a punishment.
Police said the toddler’s BAC was .680. A preliminary autopsy conducted by the EBR Coroner’s Office determined China’s cause of death as acute alcohol poisoning and her manner of death as a homicide.
The grandmother and mother were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges of first-degree murder.
Emery Queen, the father of China, received the news about his daughter’s death on Friday, April 22.
“Just a doll, an angel, and it’s hard,” said Queen. “She has siblings and it’s going to affect them.”
China is the fourth child killed in the Baton Rouge area this year.
“The fact that happened is a problem, right,” said Sgt. L’Jean McKneely, a spokesperson for BRPD. “There are avenues that you could take if you don’t want to be a parent anymore. There are many different layers, many different groups that offer help.”
An investigation into China’s death is ongoing. To make a donation for China’s funeral expenses, click here.
