Louisiana Mother Charged In Poisoning Death Of Down Syndrome Son

A Louisiana mother, 20 year old Erika Wigstrom, has been charged with the death of her son who had down syndrome. She confessed to poisoning him with alcohol at least three times.

In this terrible story, this woman poisoned her 17 month old baby. She confessed to tampering with his feeding tube at least 3 times.

"The first time I had seen the ultrasound, I had felt the kicks, but the first time I held him it was like it wasn't anything better than that," said Wigstrom during an exclusive interview last spring with Eyewitness News Medical Reporter Meg Farris.

Once, she put rum into his feeding tube. Another time, it was perfume. The last time she used hand sanitizer. The child had a blood alcohol level of .280, which is FOUR times the legal limit.

According to Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Office Commander Eric Becnel:

"It's been reported that she and her boyfriend, the father of the child, wanted to end the child's misery and the pain and suffering the child was going through,"

 

In October the baby's father, Cesar Ruiz, told Jefferson Parish Sheriff's detectives that he put rum in his son's feeding tube to relieve his suffering. The baby was inside Oschner Hospital's pediatric unit awaiting heart surgery at the time.

Wigstrom is now claiming full responsibility.