Mother accused of killing 1-year-old son, assaulting toddler daughter in Rochester
The Rochester Police Department and Monroe County District Attorney’s Office announced that they have arrested a city woman and charged her with killing her 1-year-old son.
Bryasia Love, 26, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of the boy, A'Mias Love.
Rochester Police Lt. Greg Bello said that officers responded to an apartment on Joseph Avenue on Jan. 19, around 6:40 p.m., for the report of an unresponsive child. Investigators quickly determined that the child had suffered what Bello described as "significant life-threatening injuries."
The child was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital where he died from his injuries on Tuesday. His mother was arrested Thursday afternoon and is expected to be arraigned in Rochester City Court on Friday morning. She is also charged with second-degree assault for the serious injuries that were suffered by her 2-year-old daughter.
Bello described the case as "one of the most horrific crimes many of us have ever seen."
At a press conference late Thursday, District Attorney Sandra Doorely said a criminal complaint alleges that Bryasia Love subjected her son to significant physical abuse.
"That abuse resulted in multiple skull fractures, bruising to his head face and neck, a laceration to the top of his head, a laceration to his liver, as well as severe damage to his eyes," Doorley said.
The complaint alleges that Bryasia Love also assaulted her other child, a 2-year-old girl. According to Doorley, the child's injuries consisted of bruising and abrasions to her face, ears, neck, thighs, arms, and back. The girl was treated at the hospital and released to the safety of her grandmother, Doorley said.
"Whenever something like this happens to a child it's just heartbreaking for all of us, for law enforcement, for my office, for everyone in this community," Doorley said, "And I hope the community really takes a hard look at what's going on and makes a change."
The incident took place at Wilson Commencement Park on Joesph Avenue, a gated apartment complex that provides services and programs for single-parent families.
Bello said that it was the mother who called 911 to report she wasn't able to wake her child. First responders quickly determined this was not a medical call, but that the child had suffered an assault, prompting an investigation by the RPD's Special Victims Investigations unit.
Bello said the investigation is ongoing, but that police had developed enough evidence to make an arrest Thursday "to protect other children and protect society as well."
In response to an inquiry from reporters, Bello said "there were no open active investigations with Child Protective Services regarding these children specifically."
But Doorley expanded on that answer.
"This home was known to CPS, and CPS was very helpful in putting these facts and this case together," Doorely said.
Bello said that anybody who might have heard anything or has information about the mother and her care of these children should call 911.
"There are plenty of people we haven't talked to that may have information regarding this family relationship that would help us investigate this further," Bello said.
Doorley was also asked whether the accused, Bryasia Love, was related to Anthony Love, a city man who was convicted last year in the beating death of his girlfriend's three-year-old son.
"We are familiar with the Love name but we don't know whether there was any blood relation," Doorley said.
Anthony Love was sentenced in March to 25 years in prison, the maximum sentence for a first-degree manslaughter conviction, and five years post-release supervision for the July 2020 death of Kei’Mere Marshall, who was affectionately called "Moochie" by his family.
Contact reporter Sean Lahman at slahman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @seanlahman.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bryasia Love charged in death of 1-year-old son in Rochester NY
