MYA LEE - 2 yo (2009) - Hammond IL

A 1-year-old Hammond, Ind., baby died Friday morning from child abuse, according to a Sunday autopsy.

Mya Lee, 21 months old, of 2208 Woodhollow Lane in Hammond, was injured
at her home and was pronounced dead at 7:25 a.m. Friday at University
of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, according to the Cook County
Medical Examiner's office.

A Sunday autopsy determined Mya died of subdural hematoma, blunt force
trauma and child abuse, the medical examiner's office said. The death
was ruled a homicide.

Hammond police are investigating, but a spokesman was not immediately available.

The death Friday of a 21-month-old Hammond girl has
been ruled a homicide.

Mya Lee, of 2208 Woodhollow Lane, died of a blunt force trauma,
swelling of the brain and child abuse, a spokesman for Cook County
medical examiner said.

The ruling was the result of an autopsy on Sunday, the spokesman
said.

The girl was pronounced dead at 7:25 a.m. Friday at University
of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, the spokesman said.

The death is under investigation by Hammond police, department
spokesman Lt. Richard Hoyda said.

The girl had been driven to a local hospital on Thursday by the
boyfriend of the mother before being transferred to Comer
Children's Hospital, Hoyda said.

Several people have been questioned as part of the
investigation, but no one has been charged yet, Hoyda said

A Chicago man has been charged with murder, battery and neglect of a
dependent in the death of his girlfriend's 21-month-old daughter last
summer in Hammond.

Stacey Marcus Daniels, 30, told police Mya Lee woke up crying on July
23 at an apartment in the 2200 block of Woodhollow Avenue, Hammond,
after the girl's mother had left for work. As he was trying to get the
toddler ready to leave for the baby sitter's home in Calumet City, Ill.,
he said he "tapped" her on the thigh with a hairbrush to get her to
hurry. The baby lost her balance, fell and hit her head on the floor,
then started to cry. Daniels said he put her back in the crib, left the
room and returned several minutes later after hearing a "shaking sound"
coming from her bedroom. The child was unresponsive and shaking
uncontrollably with her tongue pushed through her teeth.

Daniels' account of what happened to the baby changed as he spoke
with police, court records indicate. In a voluntary statement, Daniels
said he spanked Mya on the buttocks and leg, "pop, pop, pop, pop," and
that she fell, hit her head on the door and began to cry more. She ran
into the edge of the door and he picked her up and "began to give her
little kisses on her cheeks," court records state.

Mya was taken to Saint Margaret Mercy Hospital in Hammond at 7:45
a.m. July 23 and was pronounced dead about 24 hours later at University
of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital Autopsy findings show she died of a
subdural hematoma due to blunt force trauma from child abuse, court
records state.

The charges, filed Tuesday in Lake Superior Court in Crown Point, are
punishable by a maximum 65-year sentence. The case is assigned to Judge
Diane Ross Boswell.

Mom's boyfriend accused of murder in toddler's death - June 24, 2010

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/article_7dc515d6-4c67-5c1f-baf0-a470164647bd.html

03-23-2011

Daniels not present/McCloskey/Marcus. PD McCloskey adv the Court that his deft remains hospitalized at Broadway Methodist Southlake for a stroke. It is doubtful whether or not he will be able to proceed to trial at any juncture. Deft by PD McCloskey moves for a cont of JT date of 04-25-11. Granted w/out objection by the State. The 04-25-11 date is vacated and the matter is reset at deft's request on 06-22-11 at 8:45 a.m. to evaluate the deft's med cond. [SMS/CLJ/LCM/RJO/23]

http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/case.psml/js_pane/P-11ffb7e96a1-15af4

Court Information
Judge Diane Boswell
Appearance Date 10-05-2011
Location Super. Ct. Crim. Div - Crown Pt. - Room 3 - G03
Next Event Type Status Hearing

http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/case/js_pane/P-feb6810afe-10000/caseid/20979834

Court Information
Judge Diane Boswell
Appearance Date 12-14-2011
Location Super. Ct. Crim. Div - Crown Pt. - Room 3 - G03
Next Event Type Status Hearing

http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/case/js_pane/P-feb6810afe-10000/caseid/20979834

Court Information
Judge Diane Boswell
Appearance Date 02-22-2012
Location Super. Ct. Crim. Div - Crown Pt. - Room 3 - G03
Next Event Type Status Hearing

http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/case/js_pane/P-feb6810afe-10000/caseid/20979834

Case Number
45G03-1006-MR-00009

http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/case.psml/js_pane/P-11ffb7e96a1-15ae6

Status Hearing

Criminal Court - Crown Point - Room 3 - G03

06-06-2012

2012-08-14 Case dismissed by State. Charge(s) 6 disposed with a disposition of Case dismissed by State. Base on order dated 7-27-12. [lm/14]

http://www.lakecountyin.org/portal/media-type/html/user/anon/page/case.psml/js_pane/P-13b9cba924f-114e2