Mom Charged With Manslaughter After Newborn Dies and Mother Claims She Went on Pregnant 'Bender'

Steve Helling

A Minnesota woman has been charged with manslaughter after prosecutors say her newborn died after she went on a drinking “bender” while pregnant.

According to a criminal complaint first obtained by WCCO, 29-year-old Rianna Marie Cameron has been charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter.

The case began on December 30. According to the criminal complaint, officers with the Rogers Police Department were called to a townhome in Rogers, Minnesota, in the evening. The child’s father called 911 after finding Cameron in an upstairs bedroom with her newborn baby girl lying at the foot of the bed. The infant’s umbilical cord was still attached.

According to the complaint, the baby girl was not breathing and her skin was purple.

CPR was administered at the scene, but was ultimately unsuccessful. The medical examiner conducted an autopsy, including a toxicology screen. The results revealed that the baby died “due to complications of acute ethanol intoxication and unsupported delivery,” according to the criminal complaint.

An autopsy report of the infant showed that the child’s blood alcohol content was .234, according to WFAA.

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Police say that Cameron told them that she had gone on a “bender” and had been drinking for several hours. Cameron, who was 34 weeks pregnant, allegedly drank a liter of whiskey that evening.

Two small children, ages 2 and 3, were found at the scene. They are being cared for by relatives, according to WFAA.

Cameron had a “lengthy chemical dependency and child protection history,” the complaint alleges. Fox News reports that she had received alcohol treatment three times since 2012.

Cameron faces up to 10 years in prison. She is being held without bond, and online court records do not reflect an attorney authorized to speak on her behalf.