Child Protective Services Visited Home Of Doomed Mamaroneck Girl Day Before She Died
MAMARONECK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- There is new information on the disturbing death of a toddler in Westchester County.
Police visited the home with an order to remove the child from her mother's care, but left when the mother refused. CBS2's Tony Aiello has learned more about what happened next.
MORE: Police: Toddler Dies, Mother Hospitalized Following 'Tragedy' In Mamaroneck
On the porch where she used to play, flowers and candles now pay tribute to 2-year-old Gabriella Boyd. An effort was made to remove her from the custody of her troubled mother, Cynthia Arce.
Village of Mamaroneck police and her father came to the home on Friday, armed with a judge's order giving the father custody and ordering the mother to stay away from him and the child. The father's lawyer said Arce refused to hand over the girl, and police left.
A source told CBS2's Aiello on Tuesday that police contacted Westchester County Child Protective Services. Caseworkers then visited the home on Friday night but left when no one came to the door.
Westchester County said in a statement it couldn't comment, but added it is "confident that all protocols and guidelines were followed in handling this matter."
The very next day police rushed to the home, responding to a 911 call about an injured child. It was Gabriella, who died a short while later. Police said her mother attacked and wounded two officers with knives. A third cop shot and injured her to stop the rampage.
On Tuesday night, the Westchester County district attorney's office said Arce "repeatedly slashed and stabbed at the officers with two sharp instruments." She was charged with two counts of attempted aggravated murder of a police officer.
Some in the neighborhood questioned why Gabriella wasn't removed from her mother's custody Friday, pursuant to the judge's order.
"Obviously, if they did their job and they got what needed to be done done then this tragedy wouldn't have taken place," neighbor Kyle Wildenberg said.
It's still not clear how the toddler died. A funeral is planned for this weekend. A GoFundMe page is raising money to help with burial expenses, Aiello reported.
