The charges now include murder, child abuse and concealment of a dead body.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A Coconino County grand jury has expanded the case against a Flagstaff mother accused in her toddler son’s death, returning 21 felony counts after police found the child’s body in a hotel freezer.
The indictment against Ochra Manakaja, listed by county officials as 32, gives prosecutors a broader path than the arrest charges first announced by Flagstaff police. It includes one count of first-degree felony murder, one count of second-degree murder, two counts of child abuse likely to produce death or serious physical injury, 16 counts of child abuse not likely to produce death or serious physical injury, and one count of abandonment or concealment of a dead body. The child was found May 17 at a La Quinta Inn and Suites in Flagstaff.
The County Attorney’s Office announced the indictment May 22, saying grand jurors had returned it the day before. The public announcement was brief and offered condolences to people affected by what prosecutors called a tragic situation. The short statement did not lay out the full factual basis for each charge, but earlier court documents described a timeline stretching from April 29 to May 17. During that period, police said, the toddler was allegedly injured, became ill, died and was hidden while his two older brothers remained in Manakaja’s care.
Police said the case began when Manakaja called 911 from the hotel room just after 9:30 a.m. May 17. She reported that her child was dead, then told a dispatcher, “I killed him,” before hanging up, according to court records described by investigators. Officers were sent to the hotel near Huntington Road and Bronco Way. When they entered the room, they found the toddler wrapped in a tote or blanket inside a clear plastic container in a freezer. Two older children, ages 7 and 9, were also there and were safely removed.
Court records said the toddler’s body was frozen and measured about 26 degrees. Investigators said Manakaja told them she wrapped him in a blanket, plastic and tape before placing him in the freezer. She also allegedly said she covered the freezer door with duct tape because she did not want an odor. Police said the child had been in the freezer for about two weeks. The storage of the body is now reflected in the indictment through the count alleging abandonment or concealment of a dead body.
The murder and serious child abuse counts are tied to what investigators say happened before the freezer. Manakaja allegedly told police that on April 29, she threw the toddler into his crib because he was crying and she was frustrated. After that, she said, the child was not acting normally. He vomited, became weak and pale, stopped eating properly and developed a fever. Court records said she did not seek medical care because she was afraid she would get in trouble. The boy was later found unresponsive, face up and not breathing.
Investigators said Manakaja believed the toddler may have choked after vomiting on May 1 while the older boys were at school. She tried to wake him with a cold rag, according to the court account, but he did not respond. She told police she remembered the date because she had to attend a drug or alcohol testing appointment linked to probation in a DUI case. She allegedly said the toddler had already been dead for two to three hours when she left for the appointment. After returning, she wrapped and hid the body.
The 16 child abuse counts not listed as likely to cause death or serious injury suggest prosecutors are looking at other alleged conduct beyond the fatal event. Public reports have not explained each of those counts, and prosecutors have not released a full narrative of the indictment. The surviving children’s presence in the hotel room, their reported explanations for the toddler’s absence and Manakaja’s alleged role as the only caretaker are likely to receive close review as the case moves forward. Authorities said the older boys were not physically hurt when officers found them.
The case also brings in a prior child welfare record. The Department of Child Safety received a report about Manakaja’s family in December 2024, according to accounts citing the agency. The department determined the child was unsafe and obtained court authorization to take custody. After the child was removed, the mother’s tribe asserted jurisdiction and assumed custody. Public reports have not identified the tribe or stated how custody later returned to Manakaja’s care. FOX 10 reported that questions remained about the move from state child welfare custody to tribal custody before the child’s death.
Manakaja was initially arrested on charges including first-degree murder, child abuse and concealment of a deceased body. Earlier reports said she was held in Coconino County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond and ordered to have no contact with her surviving sons. Her criminal history has been reported to include aggravated assault and DUI-related matters. Those records may explain parts of the timeline described in court documents, including the probation testing appointment, but they do not determine guilt in the current case.
A final medical examiner ruling had not been publicly released in the reports reviewed for this story. That finding could be central to the murder counts because prosecutors must connect the alleged conduct to the child’s death. The defense may also examine whether medical evidence supports the state’s timeline, whether the alleged statements were properly obtained and how each child abuse count is supported. The indictment allows the case to proceed, but the state must still prove each charge in court.
The prosecution now moves from the grand jury stage into court hearings in Coconino County Superior Court. The next milestones are expected to include arraignment, discovery and medical evidence that will clarify how prosecutors intend to prove the 21 felony counts.
Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.