Union County mother accused of abusing 11-month-old boy

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By Liz Foster

MARSHVILLE, N.C. — A Union County mother is behind bars, accused of severely abusing her baby.

Tamika Horne called 911 Wednesday night and said her 11-month-old son was not breathing. When first responders got to the Marshville home, the baby was in cardiac arrest.

Eyewitness News anchor Liz Foster went to the home, where one family member said she was there that night.

"We don't -- I don't know,” the woman replied when Foster asked what happened. “I was in my room.”

“We're not answering no questions," another woman at the home said.

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Union County investigators arrested and charged Horne with felony child abuse after getting more information from doctors and learning that the boy has traumatic brain injuries.

“Most of the guys and gals here have kids of their own, so it hits close to home when you're dealing with child cases -- probably one of the toughest cases we have to work,” Union County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Keziah said.

The 11-month-old boy is in critical condition at Levine Children's Hospital.

Louis Blakney Jr., who lives next door, said Horne's mother came over to tell him what happened.

"She just said the baby was playing with one of the little kids and I guess it ran into the couch and fell and bumped his head," Blakney told Channel 9.

Investigators said otherwise.

“The injuries he incurred weren't accidental," Keziah said.

Horne has a bond set at $250,000. She's scheduled to be in court Sept. 14.

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