When Aaliyah Lewis, a two-year-old toddler, was left with her mother’s boyfriend because her father wasn’t able to get her, she never thought in a million years that she would never speak to her daughter ever again. Sadly, that nightmare became a reality for this mother.
21-year-old Jamarius Devonti Graham was responsible for little baby Aaliyah while her mother was away. When this baby girl accidently spoiled the bed, Graham became furious and spanked her twenty times before taking a plastic hanger and beating her with it until it broke.
Graham proceeded to assure Aaliyah’s mother, who remains unnamed, that he hadn’t struck her very hard. But her mother noticed wounds on her daughter’s body and that she was experiencing breathing difficulties. However, the fear of Aaliyah being taken away from her stopped her from immediately phoning for help.
It took 90 minutes before Aaliyah’s mother called for help, and by that time, it had been too long. Aaliyah was pronounced dead at UF Health Jacksonville shortly after her arrival.
She had suffered from multiple traumas to her head, torso, and limbs, and there was fluid in her lungs and brain that caused swelling. She was also covered in bruises and lacerations.
The cause of Aaliyah’s death has not been confirmed, although doctors speculate that the beatings made her body go into shock and need immediate medical treatment.
As a result, it is likely that she passed away due to a combination of the physical injuries from Graham and her mother’s subsequent neglect to get her to a hospital as soon as possible.
Graham has pled guilty for his crimes and faces a jail sentence of thirty years.
