LA PLATA, Maryland — A Maryland mother was found pushing her dead toddler in a park swing. The woman had allegedly been pushing the deceased child for several hours.
The grandmother of the dead 3-year-old says her daughter would never do anything to hurt her son. The mother, Romechia Simms had recently been diagnosed with a mental illness.
Family members identified the son as Ji’Aire Lee.
Charles County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson said Monday that there were no findings on the cause or manner of death… Richardson says further investigation and toxicology tests are needed.
The grandmother spoke to WUSA9: “[Romechia] would never harm my grandson in any type of way. You know, I just believe she had some type of mental illness, some type of mental break that came upon her where she wasn’t able to get herself out of that situation,” said Vontasha Simms….” … “I don’t want people to look down upon her I want people to use the situation as an opportunity to grow, learn from it. Like I said, help your neighbor, if you suffer from mental issues and you need help, don’t be afraid to reach out to somebody,” Vontasha Simms said.
EARLIER REPORT: On May 22 at 6:55 a.m., officers were dispatched to Wills Memorial Park, 500 St. Mary’s Avenue, La Plata, in reference to a woman who had been pushing a toddler in a swing for an unusually long period of time – the woman and child had possibly been at the park since the day before.
When officers arrived, they found the woman pushing a three-year-old male in a swing at the playground. Officers immediately noticed the toddler was deceased.
There were no obvious signs of trauma. The child was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore where an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. The child’s mother, 24, of no fixed address, was transported to a hospital for a medical evaluation.
From WNEW: “Law enforcement officials say an autopsy has been completed on a child who was found dead in a park swing as his mother pushed him, but the cause of death remains under investigation.
Charles County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson said Monday that there were no findings on the cause or manner of death… Richardson says further investigation and toxicology tests are needed.”
Anyone with additional information is asked to call Det. C. Shankster at (301) 609-6513. The investigation is ongoing.
La Plata is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,753 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Charles County.
