The mom of a baby boy suspected to have died of malnutrition reportedly said she fed him strictly vegan food, ostensibly adhering to the teachings of the Bible.
The woman, identified as Carla, said, “Vegan means that everything that’s in this Bible” during an interview at her family’s home in St. Albans, Queens, the New York Post reported Wednesday.
“I’m very wise. I’m very smart and I read my Bible,” she continued, adding her baby was not underweight.
“At the end of the day, he was vegan,” Carla stated. “I’m a small person. I’m 100 pounds. I’m not a fat-ass woman where I’m going to carry a fat-ass child.”
The seven-month-old’s death was ruled a homicide almost six months after it happened in October, Pix 11 reported Wednesday.
The outlet continued:
Police were originally called to the baby’s Liberty Avenue home, in Jamaica, just before 10 p.m. on Oct. 30. They arrived to find the infant unconscious and unresponsive, with no obvious signs of physical injury, authorities said. An NYPD [New York Police Department] spokesperson on Wednesday said the child’s mother made the 911 call. EMS responded and transported the baby to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities identified the boy as Kameri Garriques.
Authorities said the medical examiner believes the boy’s death may have been caused by malnutrition and police are talking with his family.
“No one has been charged but law-enforcement sources said his mom is a person of interest and identified her as Carla Garriques, 28,” the Post article read.
The mother reportedly has a history of drug abuse, according to the New York Daily News.
During her recent interview, Carla said she has three other kids, including a two-year-old girl whom authorities removed following the baby’s death.
Garriques added that Kameri “was fed vegan because all the formulas — I tried six different formulas, he was catching thrush every time.”
“He was not fed with bullsh–t. He was not fed with formula where it has chemicals in it,” she noted, adding she did not have him vaccinated to protect against childhood diseases.
A spokeswoman with the Administration for Children’s Services told the News, “We are investigating this case with the NYPD and we have taken action to secure the safety of the other child in this home.”
The two additional children reportedly live with their father.