As Mom Held in Murder Try on Son, Cops Eye 2nd Kid's Death

A Houston mom has already been accused in the attempted murder of her baby son; now, she's also facing a probe in the death of her 20-month-old daughter, authorities say. Cynthia Kaye Wood, 19, brought the son to the hospital, saying he'd had seizures and might have epilepsy, the Houston Chronicle reports; he had stopped breathing, she said. But on hospital surveillance video from Oct. 12, she appears to close her son's airways until he stops struggling, authorities say. He was resuscitated after monitors sounded the alarm. It was one of several similar incidents that allegedly occurred at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, KPRC reports, and Wood has been charged with attempted capital murder.

"The child was having cardiac and respiratory distress and would (stop breathing)," says a Child Protective Services rep. "But since [Wood] was discovered doing what she was doing, the child hasn't had any more episodes." Wood says she wasn't trying to hurt her son, instead saying he had been gasping and she was slapping him on the back. In the course of the investigation, authorities became concerned about the death of the daughter last year; she reportedly "died from complications of epilepsy and seizure disorder," the CPS rep notes. Prosecutors are investigating that case. (More Houston stories.)