Baby dies after mother puts her in oven instead of crib

The baby was pronounced dead at the scene. (Representational image)

An infant in Missouri died when her mother mistakenly put her down for a nap in an oven, a prosecutor said Saturday.

Mariah Thomas of Kansas City was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Court records do not yet show if Thomas has an attorney, and no phone listing for Thomas could be found.

Police responded Friday afternoon to a report of an infant not breathing. A probable cause statement said responders found the child with apparent burns. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

The statement said responders were told by a witness that the mother "put the child down for a nap and accidentally placed her in the oven instead of the crib."

The statement did not offer an explanation about how that mistake was made.

"We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life," Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker said in a statement.

"We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances."