Saginaw mother charged with child abuse after infant son dies with narcotics in system

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A month after her infant son died with an illegal drug in his system, a Saginaw mother is facing a felony child abuse charge.

About 7:30 a.m. on June 17, police and paramedics responded after 20-year-old Bria B. Fisher called 911 to say her son was not breathing. The baby, Legend Cortez Maynard, was unresponsive when first responders arrived.

Though paramedics tried resuscitating Legend, he died at the scene, confirmed Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Matthew Gerow.

Fisher told police she had been changing Legend’s diaper about a half-hour earlier and then tried getting him to suckle from her breast. She lay down on the couch with Legend on her chest and fell asleep, she told police.

She then awoke to Legend no longer attached to her breast and not breathing, Gerow said.

An autopsy conducted on Legend’s remains was unable to yield his cause of death, though toxicology results showed illegal narcotics in his system, Gerow said.

Saginaw mother charged with child abuse after infant son dies with narcotics in system

The child died June 17.

www.mlive.com

 

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Legend Cortez Maynard

 

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When a Saginaw baby died in 2022, autopsy results indicated he had cocaine in his system. This led prosecutors to charging the baby’s mother with felony child abuse, though later analysis indicated the illicit stimulant may not have been what killed the child.

The day her trial was to begin, the mother pleaded to a reduced charge that will likely see her avoiding incarceration. This is after she turned down a different plea offer earlier in the month that could have resulted in jail time.

Bria B. Fisher, 22, on April 30 appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson and pleaded no contest to fourth-degree child abuse, a one-year misdemeanor. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a 10-year felony charge of second-degree child abuse.

Prosecutors are also recommending Fisher received a delayed sentence, with Saginaw County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Blair N. Stevenson saying Fisher has been on bond for nearly two years without any violations.

The charges stemmed from the death of Fisher’s 3-month-old son, Legend Cortez Maynard. Legend was unresponsive when first responders arrived, and though they tried resuscitating him, he died at the scene.

Fisher is to appear for sentencing before Jackson on June 10.

MSN