N.D. Toddler Is Allegedly Killed by Family Friend Who Asked to Have Girl Over for Sleepover
GoFundMe
A North Dakota woman has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a toddler girl last November.
On Nov. 24, 15-month-old Meka Ducheneaux was pronounced dead after spending four days on life support. The toddler became unresponsive on Nov. 20, when she was left in the care of a longtime family friend, identified by police as 37-year-old Brandi Adeleke.
Adeleke has been charged with one count of murder and one count of felony child abuse, according to Cass County Jail records obtained by PEOPLE.
On a GoFundMe page, Meka's aunt Amanda Carrillo, who was the girl's primary caregiver, alleged that while in the family friend's care, Meka had been "horribly abused, burned with chemicals, given alcohol, battered, and raped."
Adeleke, who often watched Carillo's children including Meka, had invited Meka over for a Halloween sleepover at her Fargo apartment, Carillo told local station KVLY.
However, at the end of the weekend, when Carillo tried to pick up the girl, Adeleke allegedly claimed her home had been infected with COVID-19 and she had to keep the girl so they could quarantine together, Carillo told KVLY.
More than two weeks later, on Nov. 20, Adeleke allegedly went over to Carrillo's home to tell her the girl was sick and was on her way to the hospital, Carillo wrote on the GoFundMe page.
Carillo wrote that when she arrived at the hospital, she saw CPS workers and police with "brown paper evidence bags." A police statement obtained by PEOPLE states Fargo officers were called to a home "for an unconscious and unresponsive" girl.
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"It became clear that Meka wasn't just sick," Carillo wrote.
Meka was put on life support and died four days later when the family decided to take her off life support.
"As more details came out it got even uglier, I don't know how human beings could be so cruel and heartless," Carillo wrote.
Adeleke is currently behind bars on $1 million bond, KVLY reports. It is unclear whether she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to comment on her behalf.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
