Bronx mom accused of killing 6-year-old daughter in NYCHA complex
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A Bronx mother is accused of killing her 6-year-old daughter in their NYCHA apartment last year, police said Thursday.
Lynija Eason Kumar, 27, was arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter in connection to the May 26, 2023 incident, according to the NYPD.
The child, Jalayah Eason, was found unconscious with bruising on her wrists and trauma to her torso in the 12th-floor apartment at East 165th Street in the Forest Houses complex just before 4 a.m., police said. The girl was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.
The medical examiner determined the incident was a homicide in February, police said.
The mother told detectives she found the child out of her bed on the floor near a closet, sources told PIX11 News at the time.
Jalayah’s two siblings, then 8 and 3, were in the apartment, and sources told PIX11 News they showed signs of abuse. The mom was charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection to their injuries, according to court records. The siblings were placed in the custody of the Administration for Children’s Services at the time of the incident, the sources said.
Sources told PIX11 News Thursday that ACS has taken action to protect the minors.
Kumar was questioned after the incident but was not charged in the girl’s death until Thursday, police said. Her arraignment was pending Thursday.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
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