A babysitter in Michigan is now in police custody after allegedly murdering a 23-month-old boy left in her care, reported PEOPLE.
Kimora Launmei Hodges, 21, babysat the boy, Kyrie, over the previous two months. She was watching the toddler for his mom, who went to work on June 13, when Hodges allegedly bodily abused him. Following the alleged beating, Hodges called the boy's mother, 18-year-old Taylor Starks, to tell her he did not appear normal after eating soap. Hodges said the boy was having an allergic reaction, police said. A call was reportedly placed to 911, and WJBK-TV reports that Starks rushed home.
"Once I made it there, my baby was on the ground having seizure, after seizure, after seizure," she told the station.
She believed the alleged allergy story until the doctors at Ascension St. John hospital told her otherwise. "He had blunt force trauma to the head, and he was bleeding out his ears and had to have immediate brain surgery," Starks said. "All I know is she threw my son into the wall and shook him up pretty bad, and they said that's just a bit of what she did to him."
According to the outlet, Kyrie succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
Hodges' was initially charged with first degree child abuse which has now been upgraded to felony murder after the child's passing, as per PEOPLE.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the GoFundMe page set up by Starks, though Kyrie was first hurt around 10 p.m., she was informed only at 1:51 a.m via a text about the way her son was sleeping. Mentioning that this is her worst fear coming true, Starks mentioned that she rushed to her son immediately.
ADVERTISEMENT
Roseville police are now working with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office on more charges against Hodges, who admitted to what she did. "She's been very cooperative and very regretful, remorseful for her actions," he said. "But it obviously doesn't take it back."
Starks took to Instagram to share the screenshots of texts she received from the babysitter. She wrote, "PLEASE young mom go with your first gut and don’t b so easily with trusting people with your child , CHERISH your babies with everything in you because i’m losing my whole entire world rn and i don’t wish this pain on ANYONE."
ADVERTISEMENT
In another post on Instagram, Starks shared the tragic news of her son's passing and paid a tribute to him. She wrote, "I'm hurting so bad because you know you were my everything!! I had you at 16 by myself and we been doing this together ever since. We were growing up together. No matter how bad we struggled or was going thru, you never judged me." She continued, "I promise to get justice for you Kyrie and I promise to make all of this mean something and worth the pain you endured."
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the district court, Hodges has not yet entered a plea to the charge. She is scheduled to appear June 29.
If you know of any children who are being subjected to abuse, please contact The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453.
References:
https://people.com/crime/babysitter-accused-murdering-michigan-toddler/
ADVERTISEMENT
https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/roseville-1-year-old-dies-after-alleged-abuse-babysitter-charged
https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-kyrie?member=20113113&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
Cover Image Source: GOFUNDME
