NATCHITOCHES, LA — A Louisiana woman has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping after the severely burned 6-month-old baby boy was discovered along railroad tracks in Natchitoches Parish. Felicia Marie-Nicole Smith, 25, who is believed to have abducted the child from a mobile home park earlier this month, was arrested Monday.
Natchitoches police began investigating the case on July 17 when the baby’s mother reported that two people banged on the door of her mobile home about 9 p.m. and sprayed her with what was believed to be pepper spray. She fled to escape them and discovered her son, Levi Cole Ellerbe, was missing when she circled back, police said.
Around the same time, authorities received a report of a fire on Breda Avenue and discovered the baby, who had been badly burned, police said. The baby was taken to the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center and later airlifted to University Medical Center in New Orleans, where he died of his injuries.
The baby was initially identified as Smith’s son. The state fire marshal’s office said Monday that is not the case, but didn’t say how the suspect is related to the boy, The Times-Picayune reported.
Kanika Johnson, who lives on Breda Avenue and reported the fire, told television station KALB she was “devastated” by the discovery of the burned baby.
“I was scared for my kid,” she said. “It’s not a safe place for your kids to play in their yard.”
The baby’s great-grandmother, Susan Straughn, told the news station that the baby was the only child of the mother. She asked the public not to draw any conclusions about what they think happened.
Smith is being held without bail at the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center.
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No other information about her arrest has been released.
Felicia Marie-Nicole Smith photo via Natchitoches Parish Detention Center