Daughter Suffered Violent Injuries
A 28-year-old Far Rockaway mother has been charged with second-degree murder in the fatal beating of her two-year-old daughter in their home, prosecutors announced.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Ashley Diaz, 28, of Beach 56th Place in the Arverne section of Far Rockaway, who was charged with second-degree murder and firstdegree assault. She faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
“[Diaz] has been charged with causing the death of her own child- a defenseless two-year-old girl who suffered greatly in her short life,” Brown said. “The actions of the defendant are totally incomprehensible.”
According to the charges, at around approximately 5:30 p.m. last Monday, Feb. 3, a neighbor watched 2-year-old Kevasia Edwards as the young child’s mother, Diaz, left her Beach 56th Place apartment for approximately twenty minutes to purchase food.
At that time, it is alleged, the child was sleeping and when she awoke and was asked by the neighbor if she was okay, Kevasia, who appeared slightly pale and lethargic, responded that she was fine and did not exhibit any obvious signs of trauma to her face.
It is additionally charged that at approximately 11:15 p.m. last Monday, the neighbor received a call from Diaz that Kevasia was not breathing and was unresponsive. When the neighbor returned to Diaz’s apartment, she allegedly observed Kevasia lying unresponsive on the floor.
According to the charges, the neighbor began to administer CPR at which time she observed Kevasia’s face to be red and bruised, her lip bleeding and her teeth pushed in and jutting out in different directions and missing. Reportedly, the neighbor’s sister called 911 while the neighbor administered CPR after it was learned that Diaz had not done so.
Diaz also allegedly admitted that Kevasia had a seizure the previous day and that the child’s mother had not sought medical attention.
Kevasia was transported to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, arriving in cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at 12:02 a.m. last Tuesday, Feb. 4. The child allegedly had old and fresh bruising on her face, legs and torso; two rib fractures; and scarring on her right foot consistent with a prior burn.
According to medical personnel, the injuries were inconsistent with the history given by Diaz that her daughter had a seizure and fell to the ground.
Law enforcement sources said Diaz admitted that her daughter was acting normally and in good health during the time she was the sole caregiver from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 when 911 was called-with the exception of the 20-minute period when the neighbor was present.
Diaz also allegedly admitted that at 9:30 p.m. last Monday, Kevasia had a seizure and fell to the ground and became unresponsive, and that she sat by her daughter for at least 30 minutes while the child was unresponsive and not breathing.
Reportedly, Diaz stated that she did not call anyone for help until after 11 p.m last Monday.
According to the autopsy report issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, Kevasia Edward suffered multiple fresh and old bruising to her face, neck, torso and legs; multiple scalp abrasions and lacerations; multiple scars of varying ages about her body; and other markings consistent with trauma.
Kevasia also suffered subdural bleeding, hemorrhage resulting from multiple impacts of varying ages underneath the scalp, bilateral optical nerve sheath hemorrhages, hemorrhage resulting from impact to her lower back, two rib fractures with underlying liver injury.
The autopsy report stated the preliminary medical findings were consistent with abusive head trauma with multiple, violent impacts to her head and body.
The investigation was conducted by the 101st Precinct Detective Squad, with the assistance of detectives from the Queens Homicide Squad and the Queens Child Abuse Squad.
Assistant District Attorney Leigh Bishop, supervisor of the District Attorney Child Homicide/Assault Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Marjory D. Fisher, bureau chief of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, and Kenneth M. Appelbaum and Lucinda C. Suarez, deputy bureau chiefs, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.
It was noted that criminal charges are merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
