A man and a woman are facing charges in connection with the death of the woman’s 9-year-old daughter in 2015, police said.
Jasmine Sierra Preston, 26, and Edward Joseph James, 31, the girl’s step father, were indicted for child abuse resulting in death, neglect of a minor, and other related charges, police said.
A Baltimore grand jury handed up the indictment on Oct. 19 after an investigation into the death of Samara Zyaria Preston last December.
Preston was discovered dead on Dec. 1, 2015 when Baltimore County police and fire personnel responded to an unresponsive juvenile call at the Knights Inn hotel in the 6700 block of Security Boulevard.
When police arrived to the hotel Preston’s mother and stepfather were both present, police said.
Authorities said that there investigation indicated that the girl’s cause of death was malnourishment and neglect.
— Tyler McGee