WESTON, Fla. – A 42-year-old woman was arrested last week on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of a boy who suffered from a medical condition that caused him to be bedridden, authorities said.
Lashawn Hampton was taken into custody on Thursday at her home in Weston and was transported to the Broward County Main Jail.
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According to Broward Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Gerdy St. Louis, the boy was pronounced dead on Sept. 15 after BSO deputies and Fire Rescue personnel responded to Hampton’s home in the 1100 block of Alexander Bend in Weston in reference to an unresponsive child.
She said crime scene and homicide detectives responded to the home to investigate, as well as a representative with the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office.
According to St. Louis, detectives at the scene discovered that the boy suffered from a medical condition that caused him to be bedridden. She said the child also appeared to be underweight and had rashes and bedsores throughout his arms, legs, back and torso.
Detectives’ observations of the boy led them to obtain a search warrant for the home to investigate possible criminal neglect, St. Louis said.
She said the medical examiner’s office later determined the boy had died due to a lethal combination of acetaminophen and diphenhydramine. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever such as Tylenol, and diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, such as Benadryl.
The child’s death was ultimately ruled a homicide.
St. Louis said Hampton’s arrest happened a day after a grand jury indicted her on a charge of first- degree murder.
The victim’s age and identity are being withheld due to Marsy’s Law, which protects the privacy of victims. Authorities have also not disclosed the relationship between Hampton and the victim.