Depressed Mother Allegedly Kills 5-Month-Old Baby While Husband Was Away

A 26-year-old woman from New Jersey was arrested for allegedly killing her 5-month-old daughter inside her house when her husband was away.

The woman, identified as Kristhie Alcazar, was said to have been dealing with postpartum depression, the New York Post reported. According to the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, the accused has been charged with the murder of her child.

Authorities responded to a 911 call after an emergency dispatcher heard an “audible disturbance” in the background of a call made from the scene Friday night. It wasn't clear who made the call. When they arrived at the scene, they found Alcazar arguing with an unnamed person. They also found a child lying dead with stab wounds to her chest. Multiple knives were also found at the scene after the police conducted a search, ABC6 reported.

The body of the infant was sent for an autopsy, and authorities ruled the death a homicide. The accused's husband has not been identified.

"It happened in my community. It happened right next to my house," a neighbor named Arthur Edge told ABC6. "I lived next to her for two and a half years, so it's a shock to me," he added.

“It’s a tragedy,” neighbor Wandy Burgos told the outlet. “She was a nice, nice lady.”

“It’s sad. It hurts. A baby,” another neighbor, Jose Quiles, said. “Especially a baby. It really hurts.”

Women, who have been diagnosed with postpartum depression, are generally prescribed therapy or medicine, according to Women’s Health. It wasn't clear if the accused was under medication.

In October, a 31-year-old woman in Albany County, New York, was arrested and charged in connection with a series of brutal attacks against her 10-month-old son. The accused, identified as Samantha Valentine, was charged with three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the second degree and endangering the welfare of a child. Valentine was accused of carrying out a series of attacks on her child in their Watervliet, New York, home over a four-day period.