An Arizona mother has been accused of killing her 15-month-old son and concealing his body in a freezer for a fortnight. Ochra Manakaja, 32, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with first-degree murder for allegedly causing her son's death by throwing him into his crib out of frustration. The injuries sustained allegedly led to the boy's death two days later.
Police report that she confessed to the disturbing crime two weeks later after placing a 911 call from her hotel room at La Quinta Inn & Suites in Flagstaff, where she was staying with her two other sons. 'I killed him,' Manakaja allegedly stated during the May 17 call at 9:36 a.m., according to court records reviewed by azcentral.
The mother, whose other sons are aged seven and nine, told police she threw the child into the crib because he was crying and being 'fussy' on April 29. She said the child's crying intensified throughout the day before he developed a fever, refused to eat, and began vomiting until he died on May 1. Manakaja believes her toddler choked on his own vomit; she found him unconscious on the couch and he did not respond when she placed a cold washcloth on his face.
According to court documents, the mother considered contacting the police but waited two weeks due to fear of consequences. Her probable cause statement indicates she left the toddler's body on the couch while she went to drop off a urine sample at a hospital, as she was already on probation for a DUI. Upon returning to the hotel, she allegedly wrapped the child's lifeless body in plastic, placed him in the freezer, and duct-taped the gaps to prevent any smell from escaping.
The body remained there for two weeks until she made the 911 call and confessed. Officers described the child's body as 'very stiff and cold to the touch and obviously frozen.' The seemingly remorseful mother, who had worked as a teacher's aide, told police she 'hated' herself for her actions. She allegedly told cops she 'f**ked up' and that her son did not deserve to die.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the boy had previously been placed into the custody of Arizona Child Protective Services in December 2024, shortly after his birth. Manakaja is a member of the Havasupai tribe, which soon regained custody of the child under the Indian Welfare Act. Arizona CPS lost any authority over the boy after the tribe successfully requested jurisdiction in tribal court. Manakaja eventually regained custody of the toddler and told police she killed him soon after his return.
Arizona CPS likely deemed Manakaja's household unsafe for her newborn due to her criminal history. Court documents reviewed by AZFamily show that in December 2020, she stole a family member's car and rammed it into another man's truck, injuring a bystander, fleeing, and then crashing into a fence. When police conducted sobriety tests, her blood alcohol content was .084, and she had methamphetamine and THC in her system. She admitted to first trying meth at age 16 and using it weekly since.
When police arrested her, her other two sons were 'unharmed' and 'currently safe' in the hotel room with her. It remains unclear who has taken custody of the two boys.
