Maryland mother charged in death of toddler found in park swing
By John Clarke
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The mother of a Maryland toddler is facing manslaughter and other charges after police found her pushing the boy's body in a park swing four months ago, authorities said on Monday.
A grand jury indicted Romechia Simms, 24, of La Plata in the May death of her 3-year-old son, Ji’Aire Lee, according to a statement from State's Attorney Anthony Covington.
Simms was arrested Saturday on charges of first-degree child abuse, manslaughter and child neglect. She will be arraigned on Monday.
The boy died of dehydration and hypothermia, according to Charles County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson.
Officers found the boy at about 7 a.m. on May 22 after witnesses reported seeing a woman pushing a child on a swing for an unusually long time at a park in La Plata, about 35 miles south of Washington, Richardson said.
When the officers arrived they found Simms still pushing the child and realized immediately that he was dead.
The boy and his mother had been at the park since Wednesday morning, Richardson said. Police found them on Friday.
The boy was alive on Wednesday when he was placed in the swing where he stayed until police found him, Richardson said.
(Reporting by John Clarke; Editing by Frank McGurty and Eric Beech)
