Bail Denied For Baltimore Mother Charged With Stabbing Infant
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Bail has been denied for the 29-year-old mother accused of savagely attacking her 8-month-old baby with a knife inside a Baltimore Social Services office.
As Derek Valcourt explains, questions about her mental sanity were raised during a court hearing Thursday afternoon.
During her bail hearing the judge called Kenisha Thomas a danger to herself. He placed her on suicide watch and ordered her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
In court Thomas looked much more disheveled than she did on Tuesday when her mug shot was taken just after her arrest for stabbing her infant daughter Pretty Diamond inside a Social Services office.
Thomas did not have custody of her daughter and was in a supervised visit with the child when she became irate, pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed the baby at least five times in the head and neck.
Witnesses told police she said, "Lock me up. If I can't have her no one will" and "I hope my baby is dead."
"We can all tell that this suspect has some issues that she has to deal with, some mental health issues," said Anthony Guglielmi, police spokesman.
Police credit Social Service workers with stopping the attack and saving the baby girl.
One of the social workers threw a chair at Thomas' face to get her away from the baby and then wrestled her to the ground.
Reviews are now underway to determine how Thomas could sneak a kitchen knife into the Social Services office, past their security and metal detectors.
Her mental health is now at the center of the case against her.
Thomas said nothing in court. She kept her head down, her hair in her eyes. She was rocking back and forth and side to side the entire time.
The baby has been listed in critical condition at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
