Arizona Mother Accused of Killing Toddler, Hiding Body in Freezer

An Arizona mother has been accused of killing her 16-month-old son and hiding his body in a freezer for two weeks to hide the smell.

Ochra Manakaja, 32, was indicted Thursday on charges of first-degree and second-degree murder and 18 charges of child abuse against her son Zion, the Coconino County Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

“I killed him,” Manakaja reportedly told 911 dispatchers before abruptly hanging up the phone, KPHO reported.

Police found the toddler’s body covered in a blanket, plastic and tape — and stuffed inside a clear box in a hotel room freezer. Manakaja had been staying at La Quinta Inn and Suites in Flagstaff, about 145 miles north of Phoenix, for weeks, authorities said.

Manakaja told police that she threw her toddler into his crib on April 29 because she was frustrated that he wouldn’t stop fussing and crying. He died two days later on May 1.

Earlier that day he developed a fever, but Manakaja didn’t take him to the hospital or call for help because she was scared of getting in trouble.

Manakaja said the boy’s symptoms only got worse, and he started throwing up, not eating and was “not acting like himself,” police said in documents obtained by AZ Family.

When she checked on him later that day, he wasn’t breathing and wouldn’t wake up. It was not immediately clear how he died.

Court documents obtained by Fox 10 Phoenix say Manakaja then hid the boy’s body in a freezer for weeks to hide the smell.

The mom’s two other children, ages 7 and 9, were also found inside the hotel room. Police said they were not injured. It was unclear if they knew what happened to their brother.

Prosecutors said that Manakaja also admitted to the crime in a note to her sister, writing, “I killed Zion. I abused him.”

She also apparently admitted to the killing to others on Facebook.

“She was writing to a Facebook user saying things such as, “I’m done. Sorry. I confessed. I killed my baby. I abused him. He’s dead,’” court officials said.

“There is zero doubt about defendant’s guilt or the heinousness of her acts,” prosecutors said.

Manakaja — who was previously convicted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and DUI — is being held at Coconino County Jail. She is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond.