Kent Police are investigating whether to arrest a 34-year-old suicidal woman who in the late stages of pregnancy reportedly set herself on fire with gasoline that resulted in the death of her baby.
As of Thursday, the woman remained in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, said Kent Police spokeswoman Melanie Robinson in an email.
At about 7:04 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to the 108000 block of Southeast 238th Street after reports of a suicidal woman who had caught herself on fire, Robinson said.
“It was apparent that she was indeed in the late stages of pregnancy,” Robinson said. “She was transported to Harborview Medical Center where the child was delivered at nearly full term, but sadly the infant died shortly thereafter.”
The case remains under investigation by detectives.
“It is early on in the investigation, and it is not quite clear if any charges will be brought about against her should she survive her injuries,” Robinson said.
The baby died from prenatal asphyxia due to maternal thermal burns, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Investigators ruled the death a homicide.
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