A Florida woman was arrested after being accused of killing her 4-year-old son and attempting to use makeup to conceal abuse inflicted on him.
Arayiah Hudson, 36, was taken into custody at her home Monday night in connection with the death of her son, Joseph, Tampa police said in a news release. She is charged with first-degree murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse.
Officers responded to a home in the 8400 block of N. 15th Street at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday after Hudson called 911 to report that her son was unresponsive.
When they arrived at the home, officers conducted CPR on the child, but he was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“This is a heinous crime. Every child deserves to feel safe in their own home and especially with their own mother,” Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “The Tampa Police Department is committed to bringing justice for Joseph and ensuring the safety of all children in our community.”
Hudson was booked into the Orient Road Jail.
Other children were removed from her home and taken to be with their biological fathers, who did not live with Hudson, police said.