1-year-old boy who was hospitalized for days after an alleged case of severe child abuse reportedly caused by his babysitter, has died.
According to FOX 2, Baby Kyrie passed away just before 9 a.m. on Wednesday, June 22, after being hospitalized a week ago.
Kimora Launmei Hodges, 21, of Roseville, was initially charged with first-degree child abuse related to the case but the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is now working to update the charges to reflect the baby’s death, WXYZ Detroit reports.
The baby’s mother, Taylor Starks, picked him up from their neighbor who was babysitting on Monday, June 13, and he “did not appear normal,” she told police. The child was transported to a local hospital. Police were called to the hospital when it was determined the child was suffering from severe head trauma, the report said.
Starks told FOX 2 on Tuesday that Hodges, had watched Kyrie multiple times and was a trusted babysitter and friend.
Early the next morning, Starks said Hodges messaged her about her son. At first, she said Kyrie had eaten soap and was having an allergic reaction.
Starks then rushed home to her Roseville apartment complex.
“Once I made it there my baby was on the ground having seizure, after seizure, after seizure,” she said.
At first, she believed the alleged allergy story. But once Kyrie was in the care of doctors at Ascension St. John, she learned the worst.
“He had blunt force trauma to the head and he was bleeding out his ears and had to have immediate brain surgery,” Starks said. “All I know is she threw my son into the wall and shook him up pretty bad and they said that’s just a bit of what she did to him.”
According to her GoFundMe page, her son was first hurt around 10 p.m. on the 13th, but it wasn’t until 1:51 a.m. on the 14th that she was contacted. By 2:05 a.m., Starks said she was by her son’s side.
She said that Hodges had watched her son for months and that this is her worst fear coming true.
Roseville police are now working with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office on more charges against babysitter Kimora Hodges, who admitted to what she did.
“She’s been very cooperative and very regretful, remorseful for her actions,” he said. “But it obviously doesn’t take it back.”