Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
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GRAND PRAIRIE -- An arrest warrant released by Grand Prairie police sheds light on the death of a 4-year-old girl.
The girl's mother, 30-year-old Jeri Quezada, is being held on a charge of injury to a child with a bond set at $500,000.
Police were called to a home on SE 14th Street in the middle of the night on March 13, in regards to an injured child. Quezada told 911 that she was performing CPR on her daughter, Leiliana Wright.
When paramedics arrived, they noticed bruising on the girl's face, and Quezada told them she fell in the shower after coming home from a friend's house with bruises.
Wright was rushed to the Medical Center of Arlington where she was pronounced dead.
Three days later her death was ruled a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen. During their investigation, detectives say Quezada changed her story several times.
Her arrest warrant states that she told police she went to the home of her boyfriend, Charles Phifer, with Wright and her 18-month-old son the morning of March 12. She went to the bathroom with her boyfriend to shoot heroin, and left the children alone in the living room.
The couple found Leiliana drinking her brother's juice, the warrant states, so they hit her with a belt and bamboo stick.
Quezada says she left Leiliana with Phifer because she knew she couldn't bring her out in public with bruising on her face. She left with her son to run errands and return to her own house.
The warrant states she told police that Phifer called at about 3:30 p.m. and asked her to bring Pedialyte to his house for Leiliana. After Quezada dropped it off, she says she went home to take a nap.
She then says she received a call from Phifer at 5:30 telling her he tied Leiliana up for about 10 minutes because she was "making herself throw up."
Quezada told police she went to dinner, then returned home to her house. She went back to Phifer's house to pick up her daughter between 9:20 and 9:30 p.m.
She says when she arrived, Phifer told her Leiliana was tied up in the closet, so she took a shot of heroin while her daughter "couldn't see her mother doing drugs."
The arrest warrant states Quezada told police that her daughter was in the closet for another 2 to 10 minutes, and when the door was opened she saw the child with her wrists tied behind her back.
"There was also something attached to the ligature that was also attached to the coat rod in the closet which prevented the child from sitting down," the warrant states.
The warrant goes on to say the child couldn't swallow a sandwich, so Quezada slapped her chest and the back of her head. Phifer then forced Pedialyte into her mouth.
When the child began to throw up, Phifer "grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off of the ground with one hand."
"The defendant described Charles shoving the child against a piece of drywall that was inside of the closet, all the while holding her by the throat with one hand," the warrant states. "It is believed that when this happened, the child's body created an indention in the drywall."
After Phifer put the child back in the closet for about 20 minutes, Quezada says she asked if she wanted to take a shower. While Quezada was getting her pajamas and Leiliana was showering, she heard Phifer say, "get you some of this," and then she heard the child fall.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office says Leiliana had extensive bruising "from head to toe," the warrant states. She also had whip marks on her back, as well as bruising on her thighs and buttock.
While Quezada is currently charged with injury to a child, police have not said whether Phifer faces charges.
Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/death-of-grand-prairie-girl-4-ruled-a-homicide/99947754
The girl's mother, 30-year-old Jeri Quezada, is being held on a charge of injury to a child with a bond set at $500,000.
Police were called to a home on SE 14th Street in the middle of the night on March 13, in regards to an injured child. Quezada told 911 that she was performing CPR on her daughter, Leiliana Wright.
When paramedics arrived, they noticed bruising on the girl's face, and Quezada told them she fell in the shower after coming home from a friend's house with bruises.
Wright was rushed to the Medical Center of Arlington where she was pronounced dead.
Three days later her death was ruled a homicide due to blunt force trauma to the head and abdomen. During their investigation, detectives say Quezada changed her story several times.
Her arrest warrant states that she told police she went to the home of her boyfriend, Charles Phifer, with Wright and her 18-month-old son the morning of March 12. She went to the bathroom with her boyfriend to shoot heroin, and left the children alone in the living room.
The couple found Leiliana drinking her brother's juice, the warrant states, so they hit her with a belt and bamboo stick.
Quezada says she left Leiliana with Phifer because she knew she couldn't bring her out in public with bruising on her face. She left with her son to run errands and return to her own house.
The warrant states she told police that Phifer called at about 3:30 p.m. and asked her to bring Pedialyte to his house for Leiliana. After Quezada dropped it off, she says she went home to take a nap.
She then says she received a call from Phifer at 5:30 telling her he tied Leiliana up for about 10 minutes because she was "making herself throw up."
Quezada told police she went to dinner, then returned home to her house. She went back to Phifer's house to pick up her daughter between 9:20 and 9:30 p.m.
She says when she arrived, Phifer told her Leiliana was tied up in the closet, so she took a shot of heroin while her daughter "couldn't see her mother doing drugs."
The arrest warrant states Quezada told police that her daughter was in the closet for another 2 to 10 minutes, and when the door was opened she saw the child with her wrists tied behind her back.
"There was also something attached to the ligature that was also attached to the coat rod in the closet which prevented the child from sitting down," the warrant states.
The warrant goes on to say the child couldn't swallow a sandwich, so Quezada slapped her chest and the back of her head. Phifer then forced Pedialyte into her mouth.
When the child began to throw up, Phifer "grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off of the ground with one hand."
"The defendant described Charles shoving the child against a piece of drywall that was inside of the closet, all the while holding her by the throat with one hand," the warrant states. "It is believed that when this happened, the child's body created an indention in the drywall."
After Phifer put the child back in the closet for about 20 minutes, Quezada says she asked if she wanted to take a shower. While Quezada was getting her pajamas and Leiliana was showering, she heard Phifer say, "get you some of this," and then she heard the child fall.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office says Leiliana had extensive bruising "from head to toe," the warrant states. She also had whip marks on her back, as well as bruising on her thighs and buttock.
While Quezada is currently charged with injury to a child, police have not said whether Phifer faces charges.
Source: http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/death-of-grand-prairie-girl-4-ruled-a-homicide/99947754
