PHOENIX — A Phoenix mother has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to child abuse charges after smothering her baby, causing the baby to become unconscious, at least three times.
Emily Morissette, 22, was sentenced five years in prison earlier this month, and lifetime probation, after pleading guilty to three counts of attempted child abuse.
Phoenix police arrested Morissette on October 25, 2018. She admitted to covering her baby’s nose and mouth with her hand. She did this three times -- twice at her home near 19th Avenue and Buckeye Road, and once at Phoenix Children’s hospital.
Police said, in each case, the two-month-old boy stopped breathing and required CPR to be revived.
In the last incident, Morissette pulled the emergency cord after smothering the baby in the hospital. Hospital staff performed CPR and saved the boy.
Court records show that the mother's parental rights have been severed and that the child's case is forwarding towards adoption.
