In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, a woman has been charged with the alleged murder of her boyfriend's toddler, whom she is accused of fatally poisoning by feeding her batteries, screws and nail polish remover. Aleisia Owens was arrested on Thursday, Jan 11 in connection with the suspected homicide of Iris Rita Alfera, which occurred in June of last year, as reported by the New York Post.

Ms. Aleisia was taken into custody following an announcement by Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry that an autopsy revealed the child's demise was attributed to lethal levels of acetone in her bloodstream. The report disclosed that the 20-year-old woman conducted research on the detrimental effects the items could inflict on a child before carrying out the act of causing harm.

“The details of this case are heartbreaking. It is hard to fathom someone taking deliberate steps to harm a completely helpless child, and then mislead investigators about what happened. The investigation shows that, for months, the defendant conducted meticulous research on how certain substances harm children. She then allegedly acted on her findings,” said the Attorney General Henry.

On June 25, 2023, the 20-year-old was in the company of Iris' father, Bailey Jacoby, who left the residence to go to the store.

Subsequently, Mr. Jacoby received a call from Ms. Owens indicating that something was amiss with his daughter.

According to a criminal complaint acquired by a local news outlet, Bailey Jacob rushed to the New Castle residence, discovering his baby in an unresponsive state. Without delay, he dialed 911.

Following this incident, the 18-month-old toddler was swiftly transported to UPMC Jameson Hospital in New Castle for medical attention. However, approximately an hour later, she was airlifted to UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Tragically, four days later, Iris succumbed to organ failure. Iris resided with her mother, Emily Alfera, and her grandparents, while her father, Mr. Jacoby, had visitation rights only.

The complaint disclosed that Ms. Aleisia informed the police that the girl had struck her head after experiencing a "cramp" and falling off her bed.

However, the autopsy report revealed that the 18-month-old had ingested numerous "water beads," along with button-shaped batteries and a metal screw, months before her death.

Following an examination of Ms. Aleisia's phone records, officials discovered that from February 2023 to June 2023, she had been actively researching "information on household products that could cause a child serious harm or death," including topics such as water beads, batteries and nail polish.

The authorities further found that she had also conducted searches for "beauty products that are poisonous to kids" and "medications leading to accidental poisoning deaths in children."