Ashley Diaz, 28, was charged with allegedly beating her 2-year-old daughter to death, prosecutors said Wednesday.
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A Queens mother has been charged with beating her 2-year-old daughter to death in their Far Rockaway home, prosecutors said late Wednesday.
“The defendant has been charged with causing the death of her own child — a defenseless 2-year-old girl who suffered greatly in her short life,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. “The alleged actions of the defendant are totally incomprehensible.”
Ashley Diaz, 28, was taken into custody shortly after her unresponsive daughter, Kevasia Edwards, was rushed to the emergency room Monday night and pronounced dead, officials said.
The district attorney’s office said Diaz called a neighbor, Latoya Murphy, about 11:15 p.m., saying that Kevasia was not breathing.
Murphy told investigators she saw Kevasia lying on the floor and began to administer CPR while Murphy’s sister called 911.
Earlier that night, Murphy watched Kevasia for about 20 minutes around 5 p.m. as Diaz went out for food. She told investigators Kevasia seemed lethargic, but didn’t show signs of trauma, prosectors said.
Prosecutors said Diaz told officials Kevasia was fine until 9:30 that night, when she had a seizure and fell. But officials said Kevasia’s injuries weren’t consistent with this story.
The medical examiner’s autopsy report showed Kevasia suffered new and old bruises, cuts and burns consistent with abusive trauma from multiple impacts to her head and body, according to the district attorney’s office. She also appeared to be malnourished.
Diaz is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree assault, facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Diaz is expected to be arraigned Thursday morning.
Four other children who also lived in the home were taken into the care of the Administration for Children’s Services, officials said.
The agency reportedly investigated the home in the past.
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