A mother in Missouri was arrested after she allegedly starved her 1-year-old daughter to death, feeding her only 250 calories a day.
Sausha Mia Myers was arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse and neglect with serious physical injury on Sunday, June 14.
Authorities learned of the alleged abuse when they responded to an apartment building in St. Louis after they received a “call for help,” according to a probable cause arrest affidavit viewed by Law & Crime. Myers, 29, told dispatchers that her 1-year-old daughter was “nonresponsive and breathing slowly.”
Upon their arrival, officials found the girl lying unresponsive on the living room floor with no signs of life. A 3-year-old was also inside the home at the time of the incident.
Officials wrote in the affidavit that “both children appeared severely malnourished and emaciated.”
Both of the children were taken to the hospital, and doctors pronounced the 1-year-old dead. The girl reportedly weighed just 10 pounds, which is significantly lower than the average weight of 24 pounds.
The second victim weighed 17 pounds, which is roughly 13 pounds below the average weight of a 3-year-old.
Police said that the 3-year-old girl had lanugo. According to the Cleveland Clinic, lanugo is the “soft, fine hair that covers a fetus in the uterus, helping to protect and warm it during fetal development. Some newborns have lanugo covering parts of their bodies at birth, especially if they’re born prematurely.”
The girl also had scars on her chest and stomach, while she was said to be nonverbal. She has remained in the hospital and has received further treatment for her injuries.
While speaking to investigators, Myers said neither child had seen a doctor in a year. She said the older girl had previously been under the care of a doctor in Texas for her low weight, and she claimed the doctor advised her about proper nutrition.
Doctors said that neither child suffered any medical conditions that would have prevented them from gaining weight.
Myers’ youngest daughter was given a diet that consisted of yogurt, vegetable pouches and fruit pouches, per the affidavit. It was approximated that the girl was eating just 250 calories per day.
She told authorities that her daughter’s condition got worse over the last two weeks, though she never got medical care for her. The girl was also found with bedsores on her head and back.
“The defendant failed to provide adequate nutrition for either child that was reasonable and necessary to maintain their physical health,” investigators concluded, per the affidavit.
A cause of death will be determined once the autopsy is completed. Once authorities officially know how she died, Myers could potentially face additional charges.
Myers is currently being held at St. Louis City Justice Center without bond.
It is not currently clear if Myers has entered a plea or retained legal counsel. The St. Louis Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
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