Mom Charged in Son’s Death

A woman was charged Monday with strangling her 4-year-old son after he disobeyed her instruction to stay home while she left to do laundry, police said.

Nicole Harris, 23, was charged with murder in the death of Jaquari Dancy. Harris remained in police custody in lieu of $1-million bond.

Prosecutors said Harris left the boy and his 5-year-old brother home alone as she did the laundry. She discovered the boy outside when she returned about 45 minutes later, beat him with a belt and sent him to his room, prosecutors said.

When he would not stop crying, she wrapped a sheet from the top bunk of a bunk bed around his neck and strangled him until he stopped moving, then returned to the coin-operated laundry, prosecutors said.

The boy’s father was apparently sleeping in the home when the child was strangled, authorities said.