Baton Rouge Mother Accused of Throwing Baby From Window

BATON ROUGE, La. - A Baton Rouge woman is behind bars after police say she threw her 10-month-old daughter from a second-story window saying that "God told me to do it". The incident is raising questions about maternal mental health and postpartum disorders.

According to investigators, 43-year-old Lisa Pearson was arrested on a charge of attempted second-degree murder after the incident at a home on Old Plantation Lane in Baton Rouge. Witnesses told authorities that Pearson allegedly said, “God told me to do it” before the child was thrown from the window according to WBRZ.com.

Unsplash Via Matthew Ansley

Police Say Witness Heard Baby Scream Moments Before Incident

Court documents indicate Pearson was with another adult at the time of the incident. The witness reportedly told Baton Rouge police that Pearson had been singing to her infant daughter shortly before hearing the baby scream. Authorities then learned the infant had allegedly been thrown from a second-story window.

According to WBRZ, the 10-month-old was found "on the patio, with bruises to her arm and back. He said that the child had landed in a rose bush and rolled onto the concrete."

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Family Reportedly Noticed Concerning Behavior Days Earlier

According to East Baton Rouge Police Department records, family members told investigators they had become increasingly concerned about Pearson's behavior in the days leading up to the incident. Relatives reportedly said she began acting unusual around May 24 and described her behavior as erratic and abnormal.

Family Believes Postpartum Mental Health Episode Was Involved

Family members belie Pearson was experiencing a serious postpartum mental health episode at the time of the alleged incident. While police have not publicly confirmed a medical diagnosis, mental health experts have long warned that severe postpartum psychiatric conditions can sometimes include delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and a break from reality.

Baton Rouge police continue to investigate the incident.