Mother of 6-week-old baby found in Tanger Outlets pond charged with murder

A North Carolina woman has been charged with murder in connection with the drowning death of her six-week-old baby boy found in a pond near Tanger Outlets on U.S. 501. on Saturday night.

Jameish Katara Alexander, 24, of Carrboro, N.C. was arrested Monday and is charged in connection with murder, according to J. Reuben Long Jail records.

King Khalil Jair Alexander died as a result of drowning after he was found in the pond, according to Horry County Deputy Coroner Michelle McSpadden. The child was 6 weeks old and was from Chapel Hill, N.C., McSpadden said.

A security guard at the shopping center found the infant lying facedown in pond water on top of a drainage pipe, a report states. The guard went into the water and recovered the infant who was given CPR by Horry County Fire Resuce EMS, police said. Efforts to save the infant after his recovery from the pond were made but were ultimately in vain, and an autopsy later revealed drowning as his cause of death, authorities said.

Horry County officers were called to the Tanger Outlets at 4630 Fantasy Stores Boulevard about 10 p.m. Saturday in connection with a possible infant drowning. Police roped off an area as a crime scene and sent out a BOLO to all surrounding agencies for a woman after talking with a witness, according to the report.

Horry County police saturated the area on foot and in vehicles and a canine team was requested in an attempt to find the suspect, police said.

Alexander, who is the mother of the baby, did have sole custody and control of her baby, according to witnesses, an arrest warrant states. She was seen near the pond where the baby was found holding him, police said. Authorities later discovered the infant in the pond, but Alexander was no where to be found, the warrant states.

Alexander was found by police after allegedly crashing her vehicle nearly two hours later, police said. During that timeframe, Alexander made no attempts to contact authorities or anyone for help, according to the warrant.

About 11:30 p.m. Saturday, police found Alexander’s crashed car in the area of U.S. 501 and Bill Jones Road in the Aynor section of Horry County, authorities said.