A Michigan woman is behind bars after an infant boy passed away, allegedly due to injuries that occurred while he was in her care.
Kimora Launmei Hodges, 21, was arrested and initially charged with first-degree child abuse last week. Prosecutors say the charges will likely be upgraded after a 1-year-old boy, Kyri, passed away after sustaining head trauma while in her care.
The incident happened “between 3:30 p.m. and midnight June 13 at a home in the 30000 block of Little Mack Avenue in Roseville,” Click on Detroit reports, citing officials.
Hodges, identified as a neighbor of the boy’s mother, babysat him while the mother went to work. The mother, Taylor Starks, added that Hodges had been babysitting the victim on and off for a few months.
Starks said she rushed to Hodges’ home to check on Kyri, and found him lying on the ground having seizures.
“Once I made it there my baby was on the ground having seizure, after seizure, after seizure,” Starks said.
“I’m only 18 I don’t have a mom or a dad it’s just me and my baby. I’m hurt. I’m so hurt she did this to me I would have never done this to her and her baby.”
Hodges reportedly contacted Starks on the day in question and told her the infant didn’t wasn’t behaving normally. Starks called 911; Kyri was taken to an area hospital, where a doctor confirmed he had severe head trauma.
The victim underwent emergency but subsequently passed away.
“He had blunt force trauma to the head and he was bleeding out his ears and had to have immediate brain surgery,” Starks told Fox 2.
Hodges reportedly admitted to investigators that she physically abused the child, police said. She remains behind bars on a $250,000 bond but that could change if she’s charged with murder.
“Very cooperative and very regretful remorseful for her actions. But it obviously doesn’t take it back,” Roseville Police Chief Ryan Monroe said.
Check back for updates.
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[Featured image: Kyri via GoFundMe/ Police Handout/Kimora Launmei Hodges]
