Chattanooga: Mother charged with trying to suffocate 4-year-old at hospital

photo Monica Hammers, 41, faces a charge of attempted first degree murder after she allegedly tried to suffocate her 4-year-old son while he was at Erlanger hospital, according to Chattanooga Police Department.

A 41-year-old mother is out of jail and her 4-year-old son is in protective custody after she was arrested last week on an attempted murder charge.

View Monica Hammer's Right2Know profile page.

Monica Hammers, of Smyrna, Tenn., was arrested after she allegedly tried to suffocate her 4-year-old son Thursday at Erlanger hospital, according to a Chattanooga Police Department news release.

The boy was brought to the hosiptal for court-mandated medical testing and was accompanied by his mother. The boy already has a broken arm that is scheduled to be set on Wednesday, according to an arrest report.

At some point, the boy began to cry and and a witness watched Hammers tell her son to shut up and placed a pillow over his face for about five to six seconds, according to police.

When Hammers realized someone was watching her, she removed the pillow and ran into the bathroom, the incident report states.

The witness reported the incident to security personnel and Chattanooga police were contacted, according to the report.

Aside from a charge of first-degree attempted murder, Hammers faces a charge of aggravated child abuse. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 31.

Hammers could not be reached for comment.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press.

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