PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: A 23-year-old mother in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who stands accused of abusing her two-year-old child, is charged with the murder of a three-year-old girl she was babysitting several months ago.
Kiarali Rodriguez-Ayala first came under the scanner for reportedly abusing her own two children after the three-year-old girl who wasn’t her child died a “suspicious” death at the N. 50th Street apartment on February 17. The girl was found bruised and beaten in a bathtub with no water in it.
What charges are Rodriguez-Ayala facing now?
The defendant reportedly claimed that she discovered the victim that way in the tub after briefly interrupting the 2.30 am bath to let someone into the apartment. She is now charged in the 3-year-old girl’s death with murder, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, possessing an instrument of a crime, and recklessly endangering another person.
The announcement of these serious charges by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s (D) office also came with an update on the child abuse cases that preceded the murder charges.
Rodriguez-Ayala was initially taken into custody for abusing her children
Rodriguez-Ayala was initially arrested in February after being separately charged with abusing her four-year-old and two-year-old children who were reportedly found with bruises and burn marks. However, the DA’s office said that charges remain only in the case of the two-year-old.
“Following further investigation which included medical and forensic examination, the Commonwealth withdrew abuse charges related to her older child, a four-year-old,” the statement said.
The DA’s office added that it will be prosecuting Rodriguez-Ayala on charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a victim under 6, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault, and recklessly endangering her two-year-old child. The office further noted that the murder and child abuse cases will be consolidated.
According to the reports of NBC 10, Kiarali Rodriguez-Ayala has been ordered not to contact her kids. She will turn 24 on September 14, three days after her next scheduled court appearance. Her bail was set at $1 million.
Couple accused of killing 7-yr-old son and abusing their other children are arrested
Meaww previously reported that Araceli Medina and Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, a couple wanted for alleged murder and rape, were arrested on Friday, March 31 in Mexico, according to authorities. They had been evading capture since 2020 and are now being held in a Mexican prison pending extradition to the US.
The girls—originally from Pasco, Washington—were severely physically and sexually abused, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). The sisters, eight-year-old and three-year-old, were placed in child protective custody. The girls were brought to the attention of Washington-based investigators six months after their discovery in Mexico.
