Woman arrested for murder of her four-year-old son

TAMPA, Fla. – A Tampa woman was arrested after allegedly beating her infant son to death, Tampa police said.

Arayiah Hudson, 36, called emergency responders to her North 15th Street home at 4:37 p.m. Saturday and said her 4-year-old son, Joseph, was unresponsive. She told officers he was coughing and having trouble breathing after eating chips and drinking water. Officers attempted CPR, but Joseph was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Investigators found evidence of possible abuse, and a medical examination of Joseph’s body revealed numerous injuries, including bruising and internal bleeding, according to police. The autopsy determined the cause of death was trauma to the head and torso.

According to police, Hudson tried to cover up the abuse by pretending to want to discipline her son and using tinted makeup to cover the bruises around his eyes.

“This is a heinous crime. Every child deserves to feel safe in their own home and especially with their own mother,” said Police Chief Lee Bercaw.

She was arrested at her home shortly before 7:30 p.m. Monday and charged with first-degree murder in conjunction with aggravated child abuse. Joseph’s siblings were taken to their biological father’s home while Hudson was taken to the Orient Road Jail.