Maya Dennis.Photo:Harford County Sheriff Office
Harford County Sheriff Office
Detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office learned about the 5½-month-old on Sunday, Dec. 29, after responding to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in regards to a report from Child Protective Services of suspected child abuse, apress releasefrom the department states.
The press release states that an investigation was launched into the incident that included a court-ordered search of the child’s home and “multiple interviews of potential witnesses and suspects” that resulted in “inconsistent accounts of how the infant victim sustained her injuries.”
Stock image of police sirens.Getty
Getty
When issuing a search warrant on Dennis' two phones, authorities allegedly found text messages in which she claimed the injuries were from her stay in the NICU, per WJZ.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office stated that during the investigation, however, detectives developed information that indicated Dennis had “sole care and custody of the child when her injuries were inflicted,” per the press release.
“Dennis has been charged with 1st degree murder, 1st degree child abuse, after making statements indicating she was responsible for the now fatal injuries,” the press release states.
Dennis was arrested without incident and transported to the Harford County Detention Center, per the release. The release notes that the investigation is ongoing, and no further information is being released.
A preliminary hearing for Dennis has been scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30, per online records.
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.
source: people.com