WILKES COUNTY, N.C. — A Winston-Salem mom is facing murder and felony child abuse charges after her infant son died.
Investigators with the Wilkes County Sheriff's Office said they received a call around 4:20 p.m. from a hospital Thursday regarding a baby's death.
The sheriff's office said officials at Wilkes Medical Center called them after an unresponsive 9-month-old boy was brought to the facility by his mother.
According to the hospital, the child was lifeless and not breathing when he was brought to the medical center.
Deputies say their investigation revealed 23-year-old Kayla Rochelle Rodgers, the child's mom, knowingly left him in an unattended parked car for several hours while she was at work.
The mom is from Winston-Salem, but worked in the Boomer community in Wilkes County as a counselor at Eckerd Camp.
A spokesperson for the organization said Rodgers had worked there since mid-March 2019 and resigned Thursday night. We have this statement from David Hardesty, Vice President of Operations for Eckerd Connects:
“This is a tragic incident and our hearts go out to all those who loved this child. Our staff is communicating with law enforcement and providing them any information which can be helpful in this investigation. Since this is an open investigation, we ask that you contact the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office with any other questions.”
Kayla Rochelle Rodgers has been charged with:
- 1 Count of Murder
- 1 Count of Felony Child Abuse
She remains in the Wilkes County Jail currently with no bond.