As Maleah Davis’ mother walked outside of a Houston courtroom on Monday, the scene quickly turned explosive as a group of as protesters followed the woman, alleging that she was just as complicit in her daughter’s possible death.
Protesters packed into a Houston courthouse, awaiting the hearing for 26-year-old Derion Vence, but soon learned that the hearing was postponed until July 10. Vence, the boyfriend of missing 4-year-old Maleah’s mother, is behind bars on suspicion of tampering with evidence, a human corpse.
Vence was the last person to see Maleah that police know of, but the man claimed the little girl was abducted by three Hispanic men in a blue truck on May 3. It’s a story police apparently didn’t buy.
According to Houston Chronicle, Maleah’s mother, Brittany Bowens, exited the courtroom with her spokesperson, community activist, Quanell X. Bowens said nothing as she walked through the crowd. Chants grew louder as she made her way through the mob of protesters.
“She let it happen,” on protester yelled as Bowens walked by. Another one questioned out loud why Bowen wasn’t “locked up” alongside Vence, while another person asked Bowens where Maleah was.
Quanell paused in front of the crowd to talk to reporters, but their chants muffled the man’s responses.
“The main thing right now that all of us want to know is, what did he do with Maleah?” Quanell asked.
Click 2 Houston reports that the crowd shoved cellphones and cameras toward Bowens as she walked by. Bowens kept her head high and kept walking until a woman gave her a hug and handed her a flyer of Maleah. Bowens’ stoic demeanor crumbled as she cried and hugged the woman back.
Bowens left Maleah and her two other children in the care of Vence while she flew to Massachusetts on April 30, to reportedly attend a funeral. She supposedly returned home on Friday, May 3, but Vence didn’t pick her up front the airport as scheduled, at least according to what she told authorities.
After she learned her little girl was missing, Bowens initially protected Vence, claiming they weren’t “those kinds of people.” On May 10, however, Quanell announced that Bowens had been dishonest about her relationship with Vence.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Quanell said Bowens and Vence were in an argument after she discovered that Vence allegedly sent photos of his penis to another man. Bowens “took her engagement ring off of her finger” and accused Vence of being gay.
Bowens then left for Massachusetts and reportedly refused to speak to Vence, which according to Quannell, angered the man to the point he snapped.
“I believe that caused him to snap in anger on young Maleah,” Quanell added. “The mother also had heated words with him in the past about him physically whipping and spanking young Maleah…..This was a very small, fragile child, a very young baby, and she was a special needs child.”
Vence allegedly threatened Bowens when she tried to take Maleah to the hospital for bruising months ago. Further, Bowens reportedly accused Vence of molesting Maleah. Police have not confirmed whether they believe the accusations are true or whether they have any evidence that points to physical abuse or sexual assault.
“He would sneak that child home [from daycare] and not tell the mother,” Quanell said. “He would bathe Maleah, which was inappropriate. That’s not his daughter.”
When questioned why Bowens never came forward with the accusations previously, Quanell said Bowens “did not want to believe” that Vence had anything to do with Maleah’s disappearance.
Regardless, the bombshell accusations and information created havoc in the Houston courtroom. Tamisha Mendoza, the cousin of Maleah’s biological father, Craig Davis Jr., asked why a judge allowed Maleah back into Bowens’ care earlier this year, following accusations of physical abuse after the girl had a head injury.
“His daughter has been ripped away from him, he’s devastated,” Mendoza told local reporters, referring to Davis Jr.
Meanwhile, Maleah still has not been found. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Houston Police Department at 713-308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
[Feature Photo: Maleah Davis/Handout]
