Ciara Frederick, 34, faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly stabbing her 10-month-old son to death in rural North Carolina. Authorities say she also chased a man down a driveway with a fixed-blade knife. The infant was pronounced dead at a hospital following the attack.
Ciara Frederick, 34, of Barnardsville, North Carolina, was arrested Thursday and charged with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to Buncombe County jail records. The incident occurred at a home on Rocala Drive in the rural, mountainous area about 20 miles north of Asheville. Frederick's listed address is in Barnardsville, though not on Rocala Drive, records show. Buncombe County Sheriff's Office deputies and emergency personnel arrived around 2 p.m. and found her son, Enoch Chappell, suffering from multiple stab wounds. The 10-month-old was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead there. An arrest warrant states that Frederick chased a man down the home's driveway wielding a fixed-blade knife during the attack. She was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility in Asheville under no bond. Frederick was scheduled for her first court appearance Friday, with a follow-up set for April 16. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller expressed condolences, saying, 'Our hearts and thoughts are with everyone impacted by this tragedy. 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. Our hearts are broken.' The sheriff's office has not released further details on the man who was chased or any motive.