Grandmother, mother accused in 4-year-old’s fatal alcohol poisoning, police say

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Baton Rouge Police Department said it is investigating the death of a four-year-old girl after her family forced her to drink alcohol.

Police identified the victim as China Record.

The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office said an autopsy found the cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning. Officials added the toddler’s manner of death has been ruled a homicide.

Investigators said the child’s grandmother, Roxanne Record, 53, and the victim’s mother, Kadjah Record, 28, were each booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of first-degree murder on Friday, April 22, around 2 a.m.

According to police, officers were dispatched to Wallis Street, which is off Harco Drive near Florida Boulevard, just before 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 21, after reports of an unresponsive toddler. According to the arrest warrant for Roxanne Record, firefighters and EMS personnel were already at the home trying to revive the child but their efforts were unsuccessful.

While investigating, detectives said they learned the victim’s grandmother forced her to drink a bottle of whiskey while the mother watched. The warrant for her arrest stated the toddler’s BAC was .680.

The document further stated the child’s grandmother and mother were angry because she may have drunk alcohol from the bottle of whiskey that was on the counter, so the grandmother allegedly forced the toddler to drink the rest of the liquor that was in the bottle, which was possibly more than half full. It added the young girl had to drink the alcohol while on her knees in the hallway and the victim’s mother was there but failed to stop the girl’s grandmother from giving her the liquor.

The arrest warrant stated Roxanne Record told investigators “she messed up” and “wanted to take full responsibility” for the child’s death. The grandmother also reportedly said “this went too far” and “she ruined everyone’s lives.”

The warrant added Kadjha Record admitted seeing her mother leave the kitchen with the bottle of liquor and the bottle was empty when she returned, then later saw the child was unresponsive but investigators said she gave several inconsistent statements.

Statement from DCFS:

We are devastated to hear the news of this child’s death.

However, state law prevents our department from commenting on, or even acknowledging the existence of, a potential investigation of abuse or neglect involving a child. If there is an investigation, state laws make the entire process – from report to investigation to outcome – confidential

The investigation remains ongoing.

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