A Long Island mother is facing charges after her 18-month-old son choked to death from a popcorn kernel that got stuck in his throat, while she was allegedly binge drinking in the next room. Olivia Bithorn showed signs of heartbreak in court on Monday as she faced a Nassau County judge. She was c harged with manslaughter in the choking death of her toddler son, Like. “Her son was blue and cold to the touch,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, fighting back emotions. The boy died in April at Bithorn’s apartment in Merrick, according to the DA. The 36-year-old had separated from her husband of three years as she battled her alcoholism. Her son and daughter were staying over for an unsupervised visit. During the children’s weekend stay, prosecutors alleged Bithorn relapsed. An empty bottle of vodka was found in her bathroom. In the next room, popcorn kernels littered the floor, near her kids’ toys. The district attorney said Bithorn had left the unpopped kernels for her children to eat. With the mom allegedly drunk in the bathroom, young Luke choked to death on those kernels, with his 3-year-old sister looking on. “Sadly, she was the one who apparently actually went to get her mom to say ‘Something’s wrong with my brother,” Donnelly said. The judge on Monday ordered Bithorn held on $500,000 bond. She had been in rehab since her son’s death, but it was unclear if that would continue while she was being held in custody. Bithorn’s husband offered no comment as he left court. His estranged wife, prosecutors said, has a history of binge drinking. In one case from Aug. 2025, she went missing for three days. The DA said her husband believed she was sober when he allowed the children to make that deadly visit in April. “Everyone in her life had basically written her off except her husband, who was trying to make sure she has a place to live and was staying sober,” Donnelly said. Attorney information for Bithorn was not immediately available. ...read more read less