SCIOTO COUNTY, Ohio — A 25-year-old Portsmouth woman is facing multiple felony charges after her 3-month-old infant was found unresponsive and later pronounced deceased on Tuesday.
Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman announced the arrest of Kristen Michelle Vassar, who resided at the same apartment where the lifeless infant was discovered. Officers and detectives from the Portsmouth Police Department initially responded to a call for an unresponsive child at the apartment on Kendall Avenue.
“The infant was pronounced deceased at the scene,” Sheriff Thoroughman stated. “Due to the nature of the situation, the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit took over the investigation.”
Following an autopsy at the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, detectives executed a search warrant at the apartment, gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses. Vassar was subsequently interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office and arrested without incident.
She faces three counts of involuntary manslaughter (felony of the 1st degree), two counts of child endangerment (felony of the 3rd degree), and two counts of drug possession (felony of the 5th degree). Vassar’s bond was set at $180,000 during her Wednesday court appearance in Portsmouth Municipal Court.
