Substance Abuse

Child protection workers were preparing to close their case on a Camden mother reunited with her son when, on Wednesday, the woman decapitated the boy and then committed suicide, according to a state news release issued Friday. The New Jersey Department of Children and Families provided more information about Chevonne Thomas, 34, including details about her Nov. 28, 2010, arrest on a child endangerment charge when she first lost custody of son Zahree, who was 2 when he died. The release noted at least one drug relapse that caused the department to take the boy from Thomas a second time.

The CARES Institute in Stratford turns 25 this month, but "happy anniversary" may not be the best way to acknowledge the milestone. CARES, which stands for Child Abuse Research Education and Service, deals with issues "that are not everybody's cup of tea," founder Martin Finkel says. "Nobody wants to imagine adults doing terrible things to kids entrusted to them," he says, adding that most victims receiving medical and mental health treatment at the institute know their victimizers.

A Camden mother who temporarily lost custody of her baby after a 2010 child-endangerment charge decapitated the boy and then committed suicide Wednesday, just months after getting her son back. Chevonne Thomas, 34, placed the head of her 2-year-old son, Zahree, in the freezer and called 911, ranting incoherently before fatally thrusting a knife into her own neck about 12:30 a.m., authorities said. In 2010, Thomas, a 1996 graduate of Northeast High School in Philadelphia, was arrested on an endangerment charge after she told police she was high on drugs, "blacked out," and could not remember where she left her baby, court records show.

For as long as she can recall, Mary Nixon Hiltbrand has wanted to create a gathering place for teens and young adults on the Main Line. In the spring, when the former Smith & Hawken store in Rosemont became available, she did. "It just clicked," Hiltbrand said of the project. "The right people kept showing up at the right time. " Next month, after $175,000 worth of remodeling, the New Leaf Cafe will open on Montrose Avenue behind the Rosemont Square shopping center in Lower Merion Township.

Adapted from a recent online discussion.       Question: In theory, I am completely behind the "live and let live" philosophy of parenting — my kids' lives are their own, not mine. But I love them deeply and cannot help feeling major concerns over huge, potentially life-ruining decisions they are making. I get not making a stink because, say, my kid chose to leave med school — it's not the only path to success — but what about leaving high school? This strikes me as unjustifiably stupid and I feel like a failure for raising a kid who would even consider it. Help!

People with schizophrenia, the mental illness that afflicted a woman who allegedly killed two Canadian tourists in Atlantic City on Monday, are generally not violent, experts say, but the risk that they will be rises when they stop taking medications and start taking illicit drugs. A history of violent behavior and exposure to violence as a child are also red flags. It is difficult to get people with any chronic mental illness to take their medicines properly, psychiatrists pointed out, but it can be especially challenging with people whose brains are so dysfunctional that they may not realize they are sick.

The reporting of additional information concerning the alleged child-abuse death of a 6-year-old boy again raises questions about the protection of children in Philadelphia. Records indicate that although Khalil Wimes was not officially under the supervision of the city Department of Human Services when his death occurred on March 19, a DHS social worker did see Khalil several times when she monitored two older siblings during their supervised visits with the boy. If the social worker saw signs of abuse, which others now say were clearly visible, why weren't steps taken so DHS could intercede?

Kevin Durant scored 38 points and Russell Westbrook added 29 points and 10 rebounds as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 14-point deficit to beat the Orlando Magic, 105-102, on Thursday night. The Magic had a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but Jason Richardson's long three-pointer bounced off the backboard at the buzzer. The Thunder's win was their seventh straight, matching a streak from earlier in the season. Dwight Howard scored 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead all five Magic starters in double figures, but the Magic struggled to shoot from the field down the stretch.