VALDOSTA – A Valdosta mother has been charged in connection with the death of her two-month-old child over the weekend.

At approximately 8:48 a.m. on Saturday, the Valdosta Police Department responded to an emergency call for assistance from an apartment in the 800 block of South Fry Street. The call involved a two-month-old baby who was not breathing and was unresponsive.

Valdosta Police Officers, Valdosta Fire Fighters and Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to the apartment.

The child was pronounced deceased while on scene and was not transported to the emergency room.

The crime scene was immediately shut down and secured while additional assistance was requested from Valdosta Police Department Person’s Crimes Detectives and Crime Scene Technicians from the Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory.

Pursuant to State Law, the body was taken to the Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory and stored pending an autopsy.

On Tuesday, the body was taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Medical Examiner’s Office in Macon for a autopsy. With Valdosta Police Detectives present, the autopsy revealed that that there was internal evidence of trauma to the infant, thus ruling the death as a homicide.

The mother of the child, Ariel Denise Kerbo was brought to the Valdosta Police Department and was interviewed about the incident. Based on the results of the investigation and the physical evidence, warrants for Kerbo’s arrest were presented to the Lowndes County Magistrate’s Court. All warrants were signed. Kerbo was taken into custody and was transported to the Lowndes County Jail.

Kerbo has been charged with Murder in the Second Degree (FELONY), Cruelty to Children in the Second Degree (FELONY) and Providing False Statement (FELONY).

“Although this incident was terrible, the procedures in-place by the police department and crime laboratory were proven to work in this case. Although there was no initial indication the death was the result of foul play, the scene was treated as a crime scene, trained detectives and crime scene technicians from our local laboratory responded, and an autopsy was conducted. That entire process revealed the infant was murdered,” said VPD Chief Brian Childress.

More details about the incident will be released at a VPD press conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday. The press conference will be broadcast live at facebook.com/myvaldostatoday.

Release from the Valdosta Police Department