The slain mother of a 2-year-old Wisconsin girl who was found dead Friday was reportedly holding new children’s clothes when she was shot dead by the toddler’s father.
Citing a search warrant, WITI reported that Sierra Robinson, 24, was found dead Monday “in possession of children’s clothing that appeared to be new, with the tags still affixed.” The father of their daughter, Dariaz Higgins, 34, has been charged for her shooting death and is believed to have abducted Noelani Robinson, who was found dead in Minnesota on Friday evening.
The news station acquired a criminal complaint which stated that Higgins agreed to meet with Sierra on Monday to give her Noelani. A woman who was wounded in Monday’s shooting said she accompanied Sierra to the ill-fated meeting but discovered Noelani wasn’t there. Instead, the trio “drove around, smoking weed, drinking, and talking about old times,” with the woman alleging that she noticed an AK-style rifle in Higgins’ car, according to the complaint.
Higgins and the two women ultimately drove to a Milwaukee apartment after Higgins reportedly claimed Noelani was there. WITI reported that Sierra and her friend were walking ahead of Higgins when he allegedly opened fire on them before driving off.
Police said Higgins was formerly Sierra’s pimp and they previously were in a romantic relationship, according to KARE.
The complaint alleged that Sierra broke up with Higgins in February and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, leaving Noelani with Higgins. Sierra reportedly tried to get Noelani back while living in Vegas. Higgins agreed to give Noelani back to Sierra during the March 9 meeting that concluded with her shooting death, WITI reported.
Higgins was apprehended Wednesday in a Milwaukee hotel while a second person was jailed for harboring and aiding a fugitive. At the time, there was no sign of Noelani.
A public works employee who was driving in Steele County, Minnesota, on Friday night reportedly discovered the 2-year-old’s body wrapped in blankets on the side of the road. While authorities said preliminary evidence suggested she had been dead for more than 24 hours, more recent information indicated that she had been dead at the location for several days.
WITI reported that authorities believe Higgins passed through three states before his arrest. They reportedly found a 2018 Nissan Rogue with Indiana plates abandoned in Illinois after receiving a tip that Higgins was near I-94, south of Wisconsin/Illinois state line. A highway employee was said to have driven him to a rest stop in Pleasant Prairie.
Higgins has not been charged for Noelani’s death, as authorities are in the process of confirming a cause and manner of death. He is currently charged with first-degree intentional homicide and use of a dangerous weapon in connection with Monday’s shooting. He’s also facing first-degree recklessly endangering safety, use of a dangerous weapon for Noelani’s abduction.
On Monday, The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and law enforcement searched an Austin, Minnesota, hotel where Higgins possibly stayed in the past week, according to WGHP.
Higgins’ bond was set at $1 million during an initial court appearance on Sunday. A court hearing is scheduled for March 25.
[Featured image: Sierra and Noelani Robinson/GoFundMe]
