Sobbing mother charged after 2-year-old son chokes to death on popcorn

A New York mother has been charged with manslaughter after her 18-month-old toddler choked to death on popcorn while drunk in the bathroom.

Olivia Bithorn, 36, cried in court Monday, pleading not guilty to causing the death of her son Luke Russell Jr. on the night of April 12.

The scare unfolded while Bithorn and her two children were staying at an Airbnb in Long Island’s Nassau County, according to an indictment seen by the Daily Mail.

Prosecutors allege Bithorn left Luke and his three-year-old sister Ruby Russell alone on the property because he had been drinking heavily before falling ill in the bathroom.

At one point in the evening, he gave the children uncooked popcorn kernels, and one of the kernels got stuck in his son’s throat.

“He was allegedly in the bathroom, probably getting sick from drinking too much,” Nassau Prosecutor Anne Donnelly said after the hearing. news day.

‘He was allegedly drunk, gave the children a bag of unpopped popcorn and his son was eating the corn kernels, the children got stuck and he died.’

Parents are often warned not to give popcorn to their children as it poses a high risk of choking due to its shape and texture.

Luke Russell Jr. died after choking on a popcorn kernel on April 12. He was with his three year old sister

Shocking photos that prosecutors submitted as evidence from the Airbnb crime scene in Nassau County show an empty Tito vodka bottle on the carpet and a puppet nearby

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that popcorn is on the no-eat list for young children without exception.

The AAP website states that popcorn, as well as foods such as raw carrots, whole grapes, hard candies and marshmallows, have ‘the same high-risk physical properties that make effective pediatric respiratory tract plugs.’

Bithorn told police she would not give her son popcorn because she was aware of the risks. Law and CrimeHe added that the seeds might have spilled on the floor when he prepared some for his older child to eat while watching a movie.

But shocking photos from Airbnb appear to cast doubt on that narrative; popcorn is scattered next to Tito’s empty vodka bottle.

A photo from the basement on Stuyvesant Avenue in Merrick shows the bottle on the carpet and a child’s puppet next to it.

Prosecutors allege Bithorn left the children alone for more than an hour until her daughter rushed to tell them Luke had drowned. News12.

‘His son was bruised and cold to the touch,’ Donnelly said. ‘They allegedly estimated he had been dead for over an hour before 911 was called.’

According to detectives, Bithorn was so drunk he could barely stand before emergency responders arrived at the scene in the early hours of April 13.

Prosecutors allege Bithorn (pictured) left Luke and his older sister Ruby Russell alone at the property because he had been drinking heavily before falling ill in the bathroom

Bithorn is seen in a 2020 Facebook photo with ex-husband Luke Russell

Donnelly said the mother was criminally charged because negligence allegedly caused her son’s death.

“If you leave the room for a few minutes, it’s an accident,” Donnelly said.

‘But if you give your child these beans to eat and something happens, which is exactly what happened here, and your not being there, your not caring, makes it a crime, that’s a crime.’

Prosecutors said Bithorn had struggled with alcoholism in the past.

Separated from her husband and taking her children on a nightly journey, she believed she had been sober for months.

Bithorn is charged with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to the document.

He was arrested and appeared in court on June 18. On Monday, Judge Tammy Robbins set her bail at $500,000 with a restraining order banning her from seeing her daughter and her estranged husband.

Bithorn will appear in court on July 23.