Tacoma police arrest woman on suspicion of murder for 3-year-old son’s death

A mother was arrested Sunday in Tacoma on suspicion of her son’s murder after police were called to an apartment and found a 3-year-old boy dead inside, the Police Department announced.

Officers responded to the South Tacoma apartment at about 7:35 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive child in a residence in the 3200 block of South Mason Avenue, according to a news release from Tacoma Police Department. After being let inside, officers were led to the boy, who was declared dead at the scene.

The boy’s mother, a 25-year-old woman, was arrested and booked into Pierce County Jail for investigation of second-degree murder, a police spokesperson said. Other adults were at the residence when officers arrived. Police said a second child at the home was placed into protective custody.

Police didn’t specify how the boy died. TPD spokesperson Wendy Haddow said he had obvious physical injuries. The Pierce County medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine a cause of death. According to the news release, the report that brought officers to the apartment stated a child was cold to the touch. Officers started life-saving measures on the boy, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

Detectives and crime scene technicians responded. Police said the investigation is ongoing.