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Mother who fatally smothered baby in Midtown restaurant bathroom held without bail

The Manhattan woman who killed her 20-month-old son because “the devil made her ‘put him to sleep,'” was held without bail Wednesday during her arraignment from her hospital room, according to court records and a spokeswoman from the Manhattan DA’s office.

Latisha Fisher, 35, was charged with second-degree murder for allegedly smothering her 20-month-old boy, Gavriel, inside the bathroom of the 5 Boro Burger restaurant on 36th Street, near Sixth Avenue, on March 30.

Gavriel was found on his mother’s lap, foaming at the nose with blue lips. Fisher then demonstrated to police how she “‘put him to sleep,’ by cupping her left hand, flipping her left hand toward her right hand and connecting her hands making a smothering gesture,” according to the criminal complaint.

Employees helped jimmy the door open when they realized Fisher had been inside the locked bathroom for a long time, police have said.

Fisher’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Her next court appearance is scheduled for April 29.

In 2012, Fisher pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and first-degree attempted assault for a 2011 incident where she attacked a relative with a steak knife and used a Taser on them, according to court records. As part of her guilty plea, Fisher was required to complete two years of treatment with CASES Nathaniel Act Project, an alternative-to-incarceration program for certain defendants with mental illnesses.

She had several other sealed prior arrests as well, police have said.