A Lawrence County woman was in court Thursday to answer allegations that she poisoned her boyfriend’s one-year-old daughter.

Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that 20-year-old Aleisia Owens, 20, (pictured below) is charged in connection with the death of Iris Alfera in June 2023.

 

Alesia Owens
Alesia Owens  

 Owens was denied bail after being brought before a district magistrate on charges of criminal homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, and other offenses, regarding conduct leading to the baby’s death and other acts of abuse in months prior.

Investigators learned that months before the baby’s death, the child ingested numerous “water beads,” along with button-shaped batteries, and a metal screw, and that Owens had been researching online the harm that water beads and batteries can cause children.

Water beads can be found in toys and crafts and can be harmful to children’s digestive system if swallowed because they expand.

On June 25, 2023, emergency responders were called to the home of Bailey Jacoby, where he lived with Owens, his girlfriend.

First responders found Jacoby’s one-year-old daughter unresponsive and transported her to UPMC Jameson Hospital for treatment. The child was later airlifted to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, where the child passed away on June 29.

An autopsy performed the following day showed that the cause of death was acetone poisoning, which caused organ failure. Medical experts who examined the baby’s body concluded that the child was exposed to acetone just before her hospitalization.

The Medical Examiner determined that the child’s death was the result of fatal levels of acetone in her blood at the time of death and ruled it a homicide.

Further investigation found that in the months leading up to this incident, Owens had conducted web searches on her cellphone related to the actions that ultimately led to the child’s death.

From February to June, Owens repeatedly searched for information on household products that could cause a child serious harm or death, including water beads, batteries, and nail polish.

Searches included phrases such as, “beauty products that are poisonous to kids” and “medications leading to cause accidental poisoning deaths in children.”

Other searches include "What should you do if your child drinks acetone," "How many kids have died from eating water beads," "Can sunscreen poison a 1-year-old baby" and many more.

According to a criminal complaint, between March 30 and April 1, 2023, the child was hospitalized after ingesting multiple harmful objects, including about 20 water beads, three "button-type" batteries, and a metal screw.“

The complaint goes on to list even more items in Owens's search history following the death including some deleted ones such as "How to pass a polygraph test" (searched multiple times) and "How to control your reaction to irrelevant questions and have no reactions to relevant questions on a polygraph test."

Additionally, the complaint reveals call and data logs, which reveal the circumstances leading up to the 911 call. That timeline is laid out below:

- 3:30 p.m. Bailey leaves the house

- 3:32 p.m. Owens is at the house per GPS data

- 3:53 p.m. Owens texts Bailey that the child was eating applesauce

- 4:02 p.m. Owens attempts to call Bailey

- 4:03 p.m. Owens texts Bailey to answer his phone now

- 4:03 p.m. Owens calls Bailey and Bailey tells her to call 911

- 4:04 p.m. Owens calls 911

- 4:07 p.m. Bailey arrives back at the house

The details of this case are heartbreaking. It is hard to fathom someone taking deliberate steps to harm a completely helpless child, then mislead investigators about what happened,” said Attorney General Henry.