Mother, Stepfather Charged In 9-Year-Old's December Death
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A deceased 9-year-old girl's mother and stepfather have been charged in her December death, according to Baltimore County police.
At 5 a.m. on December 1, 2015, Baltimore County Police and Fire personnel responded to a room at the Knights Inn in the 6700 block of Security Boulevard. When they arrived at the scene, Samara Zyaria Preston was found unresponsive on a bed. She was declared deceased at the scene.
Officers noticed that there were some injuries to the girl's face that had been healing and found out that she had medical challenges, police say.
Also in the hotel room were her mother, 26-year-old Jasmine Sierra Preston and her stepfather, 31-year-old Edward Joseph James.
Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit began an investigation, customary with the sudden deaths of juveniles.
Samara's body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. On June 23, the Medical Examiner ruled the cause of her death was malnourishment/neglect. The manner of death was homicide.
On October 19, a Baltimore County Grand Jury indicted Preston and James for child abuse resulting in death, neglect of a minor, and related charges.
Both are being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center.
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