US News

Police probe death threats against octuplet mother

Feb 13, 2009, 15:09 GMT

Los Angeles - Los Angeles police launched an investigation Thursday into death threats received by octuplet mother Nadya Suleman, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The threats were made over a website set up by Suleman's publicist to raise donations to help Suleman care for her brood of 14.

Anger against the single mother has been growing daily, amid reports that taxpayers could be left paying for her self-described fixation on having babies.

Hundreds of vitriolic messages have been posted on the site, along with others offering support, the report said.

'We are aware of the media accounts of the threats, and that they are being sent to the West Los Angeles detectives for appropriate action,' police said.

Suleman's online appeal raised doubts about the unemployed Suleman's ability to support herself, as it emerged that she received food stamps for her six older children and government payments for three children with disabilities.

Suleman told NBC that she had no income besides student loans, and that she paid more than 100,000 dollars of her own money to get the fertility treatment that led to the octuplets. The reports said that the bill for delivery and post-natal treatment of the still- hospitalized octuplets - estimated to reach between 1.5 million and 3 million dollars - would be paid by the state medical care programme for low-income patients.