-blogged by @theRealAlexisDanielle
Monday, a grieving father rallied with others outside of the Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services building after his four-year-old daughter was brutally murdered by her own mother. The event was organized by local #BlackLivesMatter activists.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
#Aniya Day-Garret was found unresponsive inside of her home in the Euclid area of #Cleveland Ohio. The child, who was visibly malnourished, was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. A stroke, caused by blunt force trauma to the head, was credited for her death.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Aniya’s mother, Sierra Day, along with her boyfriend, Deonte Lewis were charged with aggravated murder. The two are each being held on a one million dollar bond.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Aniya’s father, Mickhal Garrett, has reason to believe that the brutal murder of his baby girl could have been prevented by child services. Court records obtained by Cleveland.com show that three months prior, Garrett told a judge that he had reason to believe his daughter was being abused, and that he feared for her life.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“I truly, truly, truly feel as though my daughter is being abused at home physically/mentally and that her life could possibly be in danger,” Garrett wrote in an affidavit in December.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
An ongoing investigation took place but officials reportedly eventually stated they found no reason to remove the child from her mother’s care. Garrett had reported visible scars he found on his daughter.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Family members of Aniya also say they reported visible injuries on her body, including rug burns and black eyes. The reported events allegedly went on for a year and a half.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A case for Garrett to obtain custody of his daughter was ongoing when the child died.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A representative of Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services responded to calls for an investigation Monday.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“We know that we are expected to see and recognize patterns of abuse and neglect and if the internal investigation determines we did something wrong there will be discipline,” she said in a written statement.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Activists also pointed to other cases where children like #TaNaejahMcCloud, #JordanRodriguez, and #AlexandriaHamilton, were found deceased at their homes after investigations by local Child Protective Services were performed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Aniya’s father says he hopes that this never happens again.
