Mother and boyfriend charged with assault, child abuse in death of 6-year-old boy

BALTIMORE -- A couple has been arrested in connection with the death of 6-year-old Brian Graham that happened earlier this week.

On Thursday, Baltimore Police said they were investigating the 'suspicious death', after they found Graham unresponsive inside a home in the 6300 block of Greenspring Avenue. Graham had bruising and severe burn marks all over his body, according to police. 

According to charging documents, police spoke with Graham's mother, Jalesia Offer, 34, at the hospital.  She told police she was in the kitchen cooking when her fiancé Brandon Wheatley, took Graham into the bathroom to shower.  Offer said that a short time later she walked past the bathroom and noticed Wheatley slumped over in the bathroom, and Graham was unresponsive in the tub of hot water. 

Offer said she then woke Wheatley up and pulled her son from the water, before calling 911 and performing CPR until paramedics arrived at the scene. According to Offer, the burns on Graham's body were a result of the hot tub water.

She also said that she smacked and punched Graham multiple times in the days prior, disciplining him for taking money out of her purse. Offer said Wheatley continued with that physical discipline, but said the bruises on Graham's body happened when he was play-fighting with his older brother.