Prosecutors in Missouri have accused a mother of killing her sleeping baby by putting the child in an oven.

Authorities on Saturday charged Mariah Thomas of Kansas City with endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the Friday afternoon death of the baby girl.

Police said they initially responded to a report of an infant not breathing. 

At the scene, officers noticed the child had visible burn wounds. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Prosecutors said Ms. Thomas “put the child down for a nap and accidentally placed her in the oven instead of the crib.” No further explanation was given about how Ms. Thomas made the alleged accident.

“We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life,” Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Jean Peters Baker said in a statement. “We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances.”

• This article is based in part on wire service reports.

• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.