Police: mom calls 911 to confess to severing baby's arms
infant dies on way to hospital
neighbors said a woman accused of killing her baby daughter by cutting off her arms seemed to be a loving, attentive mother.
But on monday, police charged the plano woman with capital murder in the gruesome death of her 11-month-old daughter. Police said dena schlosser, 35, amputated her infant's arms.
Images: schlosser's 911 call
they say schlosser's two older daughters were at school and her husband was at work when the baby's arms were severed monday at the family's apartment.
On a 911 tape, the mother calmly tells an operator she cut off the girl's arms. A hymn plays in the background, the associated press reported. She then waited for police to arrive.
Police said that schlosser was quietly sitting in her living room when they arrived at the scene, while her daughter was bleeding to death in a back bedroom.
"[schlosser] was sitting inside the apartment. She had blood on her clothing," officer carl duke. "there was no indication from my officers about her being hysterical."
the baby was taken to a plano hospital, where she died.
Officials said schlosser admitted to cutting off her baby's arms.
"there were some statements made by the mother ... That indicate she was responsible for the injuries to this child," he said.
Neighbors said they were shocked to hear of the incident.
Michael lujan, who lives next door to the family, said there were no signs of trouble.
"they seemed like a sweet family, go out there and have a picnic under the trees. Just, I don't know, they seemed like a nice little family," he said.
Police officer carl duke
despite outward appearances, police and child welfare investigators said they had been to the home before.
In fact, child protective services opened a case on the family soon after the birth of the 11-month-old, kxas-tv in dallas reported.
They also reported that schlosser was suffering from post-partum depression and was receiving mental health care.
Schlosser was hospitalized for a few days when her husband told authorities she had been acting strangely since the birth of the third child.
Once she was released from the hospital, schlosser agreed to seek counseling and saw a psychiatrist, said marissa gonzales, a cps spokeswoman.
"when we investigated her case and opened the case up for intensive family based safety services, we referred mom to services that she fully participated in," said geoff wool, department of family and protective services spokesman.
Wool said the state agency conducted extensive monitoring of the case and accompanied schlosser and her family on some visits to mental health services.
Wool and gonzales said they could not say whether schlosser was on medication.
The case was closed in august.
"at the time we closed the case, we had been assured that mom was stabilized and that she was not a risk to herself or her children," wool told the associated press.
Schlosser went through counseling and was prescribed an anti-depressant drug. The case was closed aug. 9.
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november 22, 2004: police: woman allegedly cuts arms off baby
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