An 11-year-old girl has been charged with first-degree child abuse following the alleged attack of a 1-year-old boy left in her care who later died from his injuries.
The alleged attack happened on Feb. 24 in Suitland, Maryland after the mother of the girl left Paxton Davis, the infant killed, with her daughter while she ran an errand.
According to the Prince George County Police Department, the infant had multiple injuries to his upper body. It was not revealed if the attack involved a weapon, or what type of injuries were present.
However, the girl reportedly confessed to the assault, the Washington Post reported.
“When hospital staff took a look at our 1-year-old victim, they immediately called child abuse detectives due to the severity of his injuries. It was clear from the beginning that the injuries Paxton suffered were not consistent with the normal play of a 1-year-old," Prince George County Police Maj. Brian Reilly said Friday, CNN reported.
According to local authorities, the family watching the infant and the family of the 11-year-old were friends. Davis had stayed in the home before, though he had not been cared for by the girl on her own.
Davis died from his injuries on Thursday after being removed from life support, nearly a month after celebrating his first birthday.
“I got in the room for a second by myself," Paxton's mother told NBC Washington, "and I talked to him and I said, ‘Baby, you don’t have to fight no more. You don’t have to fight for Mommy no more. I’m at peace. I know you wasn’t here forever. God gave you to me to borrow. It would be selfish to leave you on life support.'"
Reilly said that police were not releasing the girl's name since she is a juvenile. She is being held in a juvenile detention center.
“In my time, I’m not aware of somebody this young being charged with this serious of an offense out of our homicide unit,” Reilly said. “I don’t know what motive there would be in a situation like this for an 11-year-old to assault a 1-year-old. There are no words. There is no reason for this to take place."
Maryland state law requires that children be at least 13-year-old in order to watch another child. Local authorities did not say if the girl's mother would be charged in the case.
The alleged attack happened on Feb. 24 in Suitland, Maryland after the mother of the girl left Paxton Davis, the infant killed, with her daughter while she ran an errand.
According to the Prince George County Police Department, the infant had multiple injuries to his upper body. It was not revealed if the attack involved a weapon, or what type of injuries were present.
However, the girl reportedly confessed to the assault, the Washington Post reported.
“When hospital staff took a look at our 1-year-old victim, they immediately called child abuse detectives due to the severity of his injuries. It was clear from the beginning that the injuries Paxton suffered were not consistent with the normal play of a 1-year-old," Prince George County Police Maj. Brian Reilly said Friday, CNN reported.
According to local authorities, the family watching the infant and the family of the 11-year-old were friends. Davis had stayed in the home before, though he had not been cared for by the girl on her own.
Davis died from his injuries on Thursday after being removed from life support, nearly a month after celebrating his first birthday.
“I got in the room for a second by myself," Paxton's mother told NBC Washington, "and I talked to him and I said, ‘Baby, you don’t have to fight no more. You don’t have to fight for Mommy no more. I’m at peace. I know you wasn’t here forever. God gave you to me to borrow. It would be selfish to leave you on life support.'"
Reilly said that police were not releasing the girl's name since she is a juvenile. She is being held in a juvenile detention center.
“In my time, I’m not aware of somebody this young being charged with this serious of an offense out of our homicide unit,” Reilly said. “I don’t know what motive there would be in a situation like this for an 11-year-old to assault a 1-year-old. There are no words. There is no reason for this to take place."
Maryland state law requires that children be at least 13-year-old in order to watch another child. Local authorities did not say if the girl's mother would be charged in the case.
