Police announced Sunday that the mother of the 6-year-old girl found unresponsive and bruised by police on Friday has been charged with endangering the welfare of her remaining two children, according to reports from Bronx authorities.
Lynija Eason, 26, has not been charged in relation to Jalayah Eason’s death after police discovered her unresponsive and with bruises on her wrists and torso. But two other children of hers – an 8-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl – were taken away by law enforcement officials from the home, according to law enforcement official sources. Additionally, Ms Eason is now facing two counts of child endangerment according to police reports.
On Sunday, a spokesperson from the chief medical examiner’s office reported that Jalayah’s cause of death has yet to be ascertained.
On Friday morning shortly before 4 a.m., police officers responded to a 911 call about an unconscious child living at Forest Houses complex in Morrisania neighborhood of Bronx.
Officers arrived at the apartment and found Ms. Eason administering CPR on Jalayah, according to an official.
Emergency responders transported the girl to NYC Health & Hospitals/Lincoln for evaluation; there she was later declared deceased.
Ms. Eason was named in an abuse and neglect report concerning Jalayah’s 8-year-old brother last year, according to someone with knowledge of some of her social service records who did not wish to discuss the case publicly.
Although the Administration for Children’s Services could not substantiate this report, notes in their file indicated problems within their household.
In October, his school reported that his brother came to school with a bruised and swollen face after reporting that their mother had punched and kicked him for drinking from the sink, according to their file. Additionally, they noted he had been absent most days, often not being picked up until an hour after dismissal when present, often wearing dirty clothing for days at a time and smelling of urine – characteristics characteristic of children experiencing mental illness.
After a week had passed since Eason had given her diagnosis of bipolar disorder during the pandemic but never sought any help for it, no marks on Jalayah were visible and Ms. Eason provided no explanation as to why her son often missed school (although Jalayah, only 5, was not registered at any institution at that point in time).
Jalayah’s brother confirmed to the caseworker that their mother had struck them but felt secure around her.
After this meeting with A.C.S., they agreed to closely monitor Jalayah’s brother. Unfortunately, he continued to miss school frequently; however, two months later A.C.S. dismissed the abuse and neglect case as unfounded based on files shown.
The agency has been experiencing staffing shortages. According to someone with access to Ms. Eason’s file, her Bronx North field office, which covers Ms. Eason’s neighborhood, had requested assistance conducting home visits due to being overburdened with caseworkers; an A.C.S. spokeswoman confirmed in a statement that caseworkers from another central office have recently been assigned as aid at her Bronx North field office.
Bronx North caseworkers average 12.5 cases each week, which is around 17 percent higher than the citywide average, according to A.C.S.
Michelle Abreu, who lives directly below where Jalayah was found, learned of her death when the police knocked at her door early Friday morning and informed her.
“I just started crying because it is sad,” Ms. Abreu, with her nephew at her side, lamented during an interview in the building.
Camille Baker, Maria Cramer and Asmaa Elkeurti contributed reporting. Susan Beachy provided research support.
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