El Paso mother accused of killing her baby gets probation after reaching plea deal

EL PASO - A mother arrested for Capital Murder in the death of her 7-month old son last year has reached a plea deal with the El Paso District Attorney's office.

The D.A. said Johnnette Dukes pleaded guilty to Attempted Tampering with Physical Evidence as part of the deal.

Dukes is now out of jail and will be on probation for five years and will be mandated to serve 100 hours of community service.

In May of last year, El Paso police said the then 19-year-old mother was arrested for Capital Murder after her baby was found unresponsive inside a laundry basket underneath piled clothing.

Police said Dukes called 911 to report the boy disappeared while she was napping at home. The medical examiner said the baby died of asphyxia.

The D.A. said Dukes wasn't charged with either Capital Murder or Murder because the Medical Examiner's report did not find the baby was either murder or harmed.

Court records show Duesk was initially only charged with Abandoning or Endangering a Child.

That charge was later dismissed.

The D.A. said that a grand jury indicted Dukes with Attempted Tampering with Physical Evidence. She pleaded guilty to that charge as part of the plea deal.

For previous articles on this case visit: https://kvia.com/news/el-paso/2021/05/08/judge-grants-bond-to-el-paso-mom-charged-with-murder-of-7-month-old-son/