THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) --- A Bronx mom who allegedly beat her 6-year-old to death and hung her in a closet was indicted Tuesday for murder, authorities said.
Lynija Eason Kumar, 27, of Morrisania, was arraigned on murder, manslaughter, and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly abusing and killing Jelayah Eason Branch in May 2023, prosecutors said. Kumar was arrested in April and is being held without bail.
Kumar allegedly hung the child in the closet by her wrists and repeatedly hit her with a hard object over a few months. Authorities found the malnourished and underweight girl with new and old bruises in the family's filthy apartment on May 26, 2023, according to court records. The girl also had ligature marks on her wrists. She was rushed to a hospital but could not be saved.
The mother told detectives she found the child out of her bed on the floor near a closet, sources told PIX11 News at the time.
In February, the medical examiner ruled Jalayah’s death a homicide. The cause of death was child abuse, including restraint, positional asphyxia, blunt force injuries, and malnourishment, prosecutors said.
The apartment was filled with dirty clothes, garbage, and open food containers. Authorities found rotten food in the cabinets and refrigerator, and the home crawled with insects. The apartment also reeked of feces and urine, officials said.
Jalayah’s two siblings, then 8 and 3, were in the apartment, and sources told PIX11 News they showed signs of abuse. The mom was charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection to their injuries, according to court records. The siblings were placed in the custody of the Administration for Children’s Services after Jalayah’s death, sources said.
“The little girl was allegedly hanged by her wrists and beaten by the defendant with a hard object. For weeks before she succumbed, Jelayah knew only pain and hunger, allegedly committed by her own mother. We will get justice for Jelayah, and are providing services and support to her two siblings who survived a house of horrors," Bronx District Attorney Darcel. D. Clark said.
Kumar pleaded not guilty to the charges Her attorney could not be reached Wednesday.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
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