What to Know
- The baby boy was left with a friend of his mother Feb. 23.
- He was left alone with an 11-year-old girl when her mother ran an errand Feb. 24. When an adult returned to the home, 911 was called.
- The girl admitted assaulting the baby, causing the injuries that led to his death days later, police said.
The parents of a baby boy killed while in the care of an 11-year-old girl want the girl's mother to face charges.
Mothers Tanya Davis and Shonte Jennings say they trusted a friend to watch 1-year-old Paxton Davis overnight at an apartment complex in Suitland, Maryland.
“She made it seem like she was there with my baby the whole time,” Tanya Davis said.
But the friend ran an errand the next morning, Feb. 24, and left Paxton alone with her 11-year-old daughter, Prince George's County police said. The girl severely abused Paxton, causing severe head injuries that led to his death a few days later.
"Police told me that she was left alone and she constantly beat my baby with something," Davis said.
When an adult returned to the home, they called 911.
The 11-year-old girl, whose name is not public because of her age, admitted assaulting the baby, police said. She was charged as a juvenile with first-degree child abuse and taken to a juvenile facility.
“The standard in the juvenile system is what is in the best interest of the child, however, we do believe in holding children accountable for their actions, so as this case moves forward we'll make decisions based on those factors," Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Paxton's mothers want to see the 11-year-old's mother charged as well.
“She lied to me, she betrayed me as a friend,” Davis said.
“You leave somebody that you’re watching, an innocent baby, in the hands of another minor with anger issues,” Jennings said.
Police are not commenting on possible charges for the mother.
Under Maryland law, a child cannot be left unattended without proper supervision by a reliable person at least 13 years of age.
This is the youngest child Prince George’s County police detectives can remember being charged with such a serious crime.
