TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Police arrested a woman for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son on Saturday.
TPD said that on June 29, officers responded to a 911 call at around 4:37 a.m. on the 8400 block of N. 15th Street. Police said Arayiah Hudson, 36, called to report that her son, Joseph, was unresponsive.
Officers arrived and performed CPR on Joseph, but he was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Police interviewed Hudson, and she indicated Joseph started coughing and having trouble breathing while eating potato chips and drinking water. However, investigators said they found evidence revealing a potential history of abuse.
TPD said the medical examination of Joseph's body showed multiple injuries, including bruises, scrapes, and internal bleeding. The autopsy identified the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and body.
Detectives said that Hudson tried to cover up the abuse by telling detectives she disciplined Joseph and attempting to cover up the bruises with makeup.
Arayiah Hudson was arrested on Monday and charged with murder in the first degree while engaged in aggravated child abuse. She was taken to Orient Road jail and will remain behind bars until trial.
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