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6-year-old Gloucester boy killed; mom implicated
by Seung Min Kim and Jonathan Casiano/ The Star-LedgerSaturday December 22, 2007, 2:30 PM
A Gloucester County boy was killed this morning, allegedly by his mother who cut the child’s throat before turning the weapon on herself, authorities said.
When police arrived at the family’s home on Dartmouth Road in Deptford Township at around 7:30 a.m., they found the boy, Jared Harding, in the living room, bleeding profusely, He was taken to Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury where he died a short time later, said Bernie Weisenfeld, a spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.Jared’s mother, 42-year-old Martina Harding was taken to Cooper Medical Center in Camden where she underwent surgery for a self inflicted wound to her throat, Weisenfeld said. She was placed under arrest and charges are pending, he said.
Weisenfeld said prosecutors have not yet interviewed Harding, whose injuries are not considered life threatening, and could not immediately comment on a motive.
Weisenfeld said Harding’s husband, Christian, witnessed at least part of the attack. The couple’s 9-year-old daughter was also home at the time. Neither was injured.
An autopsy was scheduled for this afternoon. Weisenfeld said formal charges are expected to be filed later this afternoon.
Local law enforcement authorities said they had not been called to the home in the Oak Valley section of town before this morning and that Harding did not appear to have an existing criminal record.
Kate Bernyk, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Youth and Family Services said investigators had never dealt with the family, but would launch an investigation as a result of the boy’s death.
“He was a wonderful little boy,” said Scott MacDonald, principal at Pine Acres Early Childhood Center, where Jared was a first-grader. “We’re totally devastated and trying to process the whole tragic situation.”
6-year-old Gloucester boy killed; mom implicated – Breaking News From New Jersey – NJ.com
