St. Cloud mother arrested after child's death

St. Cloud mother arrested after child's death
By David Unze • dunze@stcloudtimes.com • April 17, 2010

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Twitter FarkIt Type Size A A A A 31-year-old St. Cloud woman has been arrested and could be charged with murder in the death of her 22-month-old son, police said.



Nayachuol Lungdicok Poch was arrested Friday, four days after her son died. An autopsy by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s office showed the boy died from blunt-force trauma, according to St. Cloud Police Lt. James Mortenson.
Police arrested Poch about 4:50 p.m. at her residence, 1538 Sixth Ave. S. She was taken to Stearns County Jail, where she will remain until her first court appearance. She could be charged as early as Monday, according to police.
Police went to the apartment at 2:21 p.m. Monday after Poch called to report that a child there was unresponsive, Mortenson said. Emergency workers attempted to revive the boy, but he was pronounced dead at St. Cloud Hospital.
No trauma was obvious when medical personnel were trying to revive the boy, Mortenson said, but evidence of trauma was discovered during the autopsy.
“The child had a substantial injury that caused his death,” Mortenson said.
Poch was the only adult living at the apartment with her three children, Mortenson said.
Poch’s two other children, both younger than 5, were placed in protective custody, Mortenson said.
Poch, a native of Sudan, had recently moved to St. Cloud.
Police were looking into whether there were previous calls to her apartment.
“We’re backtracking all the history on that,” he said.
Police executed at least one search warrant at the residence while investigating the death, Mortenson said.