Lydia Ginger aka Lydia Monique Gillispie, Missouri mom has mental breakdown and tries to smother three of her five young children at a Jefferson City hotel room. Mom claims suffering postpartum depression.
A Missouri mother has claimed ‘snapping’ and attempting to smother her children in a hotel room during a mental breakdown over the weekend.
Lydia Ginger, 36, allegedly tried to use pillows to smother at least three of her five children, all of whom are under the age of 12, including a 3 month old infant, late Sunday night, circa 11 p.m at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in the 400 block of West McCarty Street in Jefferson City according to court documents.
The parent upon her arrest was charged with four counts of first-degree domestic assault, one count of abuse or neglect of a child, and three counts of first-degree child endangerment.
Lydia Ginger Missouri mom claims suffering postpartum depression
One of her children, who is less than 12 years old, reportedly called 911 after locking themselves in the hotel bathroom, reporting that their mother had tried to strangle them, smothered their face in an attempt to suffocate them, and threatened to kill their siblings, according to court documents.
The 911 operator could hear yelling in the background, according to court documents.
Jefferson City police responded and found the mother outside the hotel room, appearing highly intoxicated, according to court documents cited by KOMU.
The child who called 911 told police at the scene that Ginger had tried to suffocate one of their siblings who was less than 3 months old, according to court documents. Another child, who was less than 8 years old, said Ginger smothered them as well, according to court documents.
Ginger reportedly told police that she ‘blacked out’ due to a mental health issue and couldn’t remember the incident, according to court documents.
‘Ginger admitted there was a disturbance between she and the children, but stated she ‘blacked out’ and couldn’t remember,’ according to a probable affidavit. ‘Ginger admitted that she ‘snapped,’ adding that she’s not denying that suffocation with pillows happened — but she couldn’t remember citing her being ‘blacked out’ due to postpartum depression. Ginger stated that if her children stated it happened, then it ‘probably’ happened.’
A search warrant of the hotel room revealed several empty alcohol bottles and four pillows on the floor, according to court documents.
Ginger who is also identified as Lydia Monique Gillispie is being held in the Cole County Jail without bond, jail records show.
The whereabouts of the childrens’ father(s) remained unclear.
