A 43-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with one count of murder in connection to the death of her 18-day-old baby girl in London.
The fatal incident took place on Saturday, March 14, around 7:30 a.m. in Westminster, the Metropolitan Police said in a news release that same day.
Officers reported to Horseferry Road in the central London neighborhood after they received reports “that a baby had fallen from a height from a residential property,” according to the release.
Police said that the infant was taken to an area hospital. Meanwhile, a London Ambulance Service spokesperson told BBC that the baby received treatment at the scene before she was taken to a major trauma center.
Police said the baby was pronounced dead at the hospital just hours after the incident took place.
Metropolitan Police said that they arrested a 43-year-old woman at the scene of the incident on suspicion of murder. The woman — who has since been identified as Zahira Byjaouane — was then taken into custody.
Byjaouane has been identified as the baby’s mother, according to the BBC. It is not currently clear if police believe she had a motive regarding her daughter’s death.
A mug shot for Byjaouane has not yet been revealed. However, photos have been shared from the crime scene that were taken in the aftermath of the fatal incident.
It is not currently clear if Byjaouane has entered a plea or retained legal representation following her arrest. The Metropolitan Police did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
The ongoing investigation into the infant’s death has been referred to as a “murder investigation,” indicating that authorities do not believe the baby died as the result of a crime and not an accident.
Additionally, police have asked eyewitnesses of the incident “to call 101” and refer to the case as “1596/14MAR” if they have any details to share about the event.
“Our thoughts today are with the baby’s family,” Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who is leading the Metropolitan Police investigation, said in the press release. “The death of an infant is always an extremely tragic occurrence, and officers are making urgent enquiries around the circumstances.”
Foxwell added, “At this stage, we believe the incident occurred within a domestic context, but we are appealing for anybody with information to come forward.”
Photos of the crime scene obtained by BBC captured a forensic investigator wearing gloves while holding an object up to a window of the property where the baby fell from. Meanwhile, another photo showed two officers standing in front of police tape in the area as they continued to learn details about the case.
The police cordon was lifted as of Sunday, March 15, according to the BBC.
Meanwhile, BBC reported that several people brought flower bouquets and stuffed toys to the crime scene in order to pay tribute to the young victim.
Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation into the young girl’s death.
