Woman accused of leaving young son unresponsive in crib indicted

Wanisha Smith

Wanisha Smith

A 33-year-old Dayton woman accused of leaving her 1-year-old son injured and unresponsive in his crib after he hit his head on a chair was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury.

Wanisha Smith was indicted on involuntary manslaughter and endangering children, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

>> Report: Dayton woman accused in baby’s death previously investigated for leaving kids alone

“This woman injured her child, and instead of seeking medical attention left him alone in his crib,” said Mat Heck Jr., prosecutor. “No one, including the defendant, checked on this child until firefighters found his badly decomposed body. This case is yet another that confirms that additional work must be done to ensure children in our community are in a safe environment. No child should endure this kind of extreme abuse and neglect.”

>> RELATED: Dayton to order ‘deplorable’ apartments where 1-year-old found dead vacated

Balloons and a small memorial were placed outside a Dayton apartment where a 1-year-old boy was found dead. STAFF PHOTO / JIM NOELKER

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During an interview with police, Smith admitted that on or around May 16, she injured her son, Darius Hall Jr., by “bumping his head into a chair and rendering him unconscious and unresponsive,” read Dayton Municipal Court documents.

“She stated although she knew he was injured, she never attempted to provide medical care for him,” the affidavit read. “She stated she then left him alone … knowing doing so would cause him to die.”

>> RELATED: Dayton mother left injured 1-year-old son alone in apartment without medical care, records say

Police were called to Smith’s apartment in the 1800 block of North James H. McGee Boulevard on June 9 after neighbors reported they hadn’t seen her recently and that there was a smell coming from the apartment.

Dayton fire crews found the remains of a small child, later identified as Hall, inside the apartment, said police Lt. Jason Hall.

Smith is being held in the Montgomery County Jail. She is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

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