Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Guyanese woman arrested after putting baby in oven
01-12-2007

MIAMI, USA (AFP): A woman from Guyana faces aggravated child abuse charges in Florida after allegedly putting her baby in a lit oven and leaving her apartment, police said Wednesday, adding the tot was not hurt.

Sharlyn Singh, 29, a citizen of Guyana, was arrested Monday in Orlando, Florida, and remained in custody in lieu of a 15,000-dollar bail, police said.

Police said the alleged incident occurred Monday at Singh's Orlando apartment. The baby's uncle, according to the police report, had arrived to collect the belongings of his brother, who had separated from Singh and was moving out.

While packing a suitcase the uncle, who was not identified, heard crying and asked Singh where the nearly-year-old girl was.

Singh ignored his question and left the apartment, and the uncle then realized that the crying came from the oven.

"The baby's cries were coming from the area of the oven. As he approached, he realised the oven was turned on and the baby inside," the police report said.

The uncle "turned off the stove and removed the child."

"The oven was not hot enough to burn the baby," the man told police.

A police officer saw grease marks on the baby's body, but no injuries.