Barnardsville, NC – A 10-month-old boy is dead and his mother is in custody after a stabbing Thursday afternoon at a rural Buncombe County home, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Ciara Breann Frederick, 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon following the death of her son, Enoch Chappell, at Mission Hospital.
Deputies responded to Rocala Drive in Barnardsville shortly after 2 p.m. after a call reporting a stabbing. They arrived to find the infant suffering from multiple stab wounds. Barnardsville Fire and Buncombe County EMS worked to stabilize the child before transporting him to Mission Hospital, where he later died.
Sheriff Quentin Miller said the loss weighed heavily on the emergency responders who answered the call.
“Members of the Barnardsville Fire Department and Buncombe County EMS did everything they could to save this child’s life, and for that, we are grateful,” Miller said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken.”
Court records show Frederick faced an assault charge in 2012, alleging she intended to cause serious injury. The district attorney later dismissed the case without a plea agreement. Frederick remains in custody of the Buncombe County Sheriff Department. The investigation is ongoing.
