REDFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — The mother of a 5-year-old girl who died June 25 after being found unresponsive at a motel in Redford has been charged with felony murder along with her boyfriend.
On Thursday, Steffani Jones, 26 and Michael Deshawn Lewis, 30, both of Redford, were charged with felony murder, second-degree murder and two counts of child abuse in the first degree.
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According to police, on June 25 at 9:30 a.m., Redford Township police arrived at a motel in the 14300 block of Telegraph Road in Redford Township regarding a young girl who was unresponsive. When first responders arrived, they transferred the 5-year-old girl to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead from her injuries.
The medical examiner found she had numerous bruises, a tear in her adrenal gland, lacerations to her liver, and vaginal tearing.
Her three-year-old brother was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Doctors found numerous signs of previous abuse including lacerations to his liver and numerous broken ribs.
According to the medical examiner, the 5-year-old's death is being ruled as a homicide, and preliminary results show she died from blunt force trauma.
Police say Jones told them Lewis hit the children with his fist daily and sometimes beat them with a knife sheath. She allegedly told police that the 5-year-old who died recently got a whooping for drinking out of the toilet in their motel room.
Jones and Lewis are scheduled to appear for a probable cause hearing on July 9 and a preliminary exam on July 16.
