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An Indianapolis mother is accused of murdering her two month old son, and family members tell Fox59 that it could have been prevented if authorities had taken action.
Police arrested Bambi Glazebrook on charges of Murder and Neglect Resulting in Death. The baby was not breathing when first responders arrived at the home Thursday.
An autopsy is still pending, but family members said they believe Glazebrook hadn’t been feeding her son.
"He was so small,” said Martha Robertson, who said she is a cousin and a neighbor to Glazebrook. “It looked like if you tried to pick him up that he would break.
"His cheeks were sunken in, his eyes were sunken in. He looked like he hadn't been fed in over a month."
Robertson said she tried confronting her cousin outside her home.
"I told her that she needed to take him to the hospital,” Robertson said. “She told me that I needed to stay out of her business, she could take care of her child herself."
Several family members tell Fox59 News that Glazebrook had a history of neglecting her children.
“She's had CPS (Child Protective Services) in her life for seven years now," said Amanda Robertson, another cousin to Glazebrook.
Amanda Robertson said three of Glazebrook's five children were adopted after being removed from her home by CPS.
When family members noticed new signs of trouble with Glazebrook’s infant son a few weeks ago, they said they tried to get authorities involved yet again.
"I called CPS three times and I called the police twice to come out here and try to do something,” Martha Roberston said. “I told them every time that it was a life and death situation... that if they did not do something that the child was going to die."
The Department of Child Services, which oversees CPS, is prohibited from releasing specific details of any case. However, the department did acknowledge at least one recent report of a complaint involving Glazebrook.
"DCS did receive a report recently and was working to locate the family so we could assess the child's situation," said spokeswoman Stephanie McFarland.
"Instead of doing anything about it, they came out, knocked on the door, couldn't get an answer and then left," Martha Robertson said. "I mean, if they were trying that hard, I live right next door. They had my phone number and my address. They could have come at any point in the day."
"If they would have taken that baby then he'd still be alive," said Amanda Robertson.
Despite their anger with the system, as the family members mourn, they save their harshest words for the woman they say is truly responsible.
"Honestly, I would tell (Glazebrook) that I hope she spends the rest of her life in jail and can't do anything else to anymore children,” Martha Robertson said. “Because what she did was wrong. I honestly believe that she knew what was going on. She knew there was something wrong with that baby, that he needed to go to the hospital. I think she let him die."
Fox59 is working to get more information on the CPS investigation into Glazebrook.