Poor parenting led to the death of a 5-month-old twin and the brink of death for the other; mother faces death penalty for the ordeal the twins went through

A 24-year-old woman has been formally charged with first-degree murder and child abuse following the death of her 5-month-old son, reportedly from starvation. The child’s twin was also discovered in a severely malnourished state and was described as being on the brink of death.

Jail records indicate that Tamiya T. faced charges on December 28, 2022, with two counts of felony child abuse leading to significant physical harm. At that time, she was given a secured bond amounting to $500,000.

On Christmas, Tamiya contacted emergency services, disclosing that one of her infants was unresponsive. Tamiya informed the authorities that after feeding her twins, she had laid them down for a nap and subsequently took a nap herself.

“When she woke up a couple hours later, her blankets were soiled and she looked at one of her twins and he was not breathing, so she called 9-1-1,” the district attorney’s office said. “First responders took the twins to the hospital. One of the twins was pronounced dead at the hospital. Officers as well as crime scene investigators noted that the five-month-old was skin and bones and could see where his joints were visible, and he appeared to be very malnourished.”

According to the DA’s office, an autopsy report later confirmed that the boy’s cause of death was homicide, due to starvation and malnutrition, according to reports.

The twin who lived was also reported to be malnourished, and suffering from hypothermia and a low heart rate.

Doctors at the time informed investigators that the emaciated surviving boy was “also near death due to malnutrition,” according to the district attorney’s office, which said Tamiya had a record of alleged child neglect.

During a bond hearing for Tamiya, the presiding judge intimated the gravity of her charges, highlighting that a conviction could lead to a life sentence or even the death penalty. This was according to information from Law & Crime. Additionally, during the hearing, it was disclosed by the prosecution that there was a noticeable scarcity of food in Tamiya’s residence, with the available milk found to be in an unsuitable condition for consumption.

Upon hearing the charges and the state of her residence, Tamiya was visibly distraught. Further information revealed that the infants, born prematurely, had only shown minimal weight gain since birth. Notably, both had THC present in their systems. In a turn of events, an individual claiming to be Tamiya’s sister defended her during the court hearing. She asserted that both she and Tamiya had fed the twins on Christmas Day, explaining the lack of food at the residence when authorities conducted their investigation.

Consequently, the judge ruled that Tamiya will remain in custody without the possibility of bail. Her subsequent court date has been scheduled for August 22.