How Africa News
Police in Texas have arrested and charged a man in the death of his 2-year-old daughter. According to Fox Houston, the mother of the murdered toddler alleged the suspect face-timed her while choking their child.
According to Kairsten Watson, the tragic incident occurred a week after she regularly reported the minor’s father, Deontray Flanagan, to the police. Zevaya Marie was the name of the deceased toddler.
“Her face was just covered in blood. He hit her with something really hard, and then he called me on Facetime, and he showed me. He choked her on Facetime. I said, ‘Tray stop, that is your daughter, stop, she loves you.’ His exact words were you only love that man, you did this to her,” Watson recalled.
According to police, the 25-year-old suspect picked up his daughter from daycare on Monday before heading to a Walmart in North Harris County. Flanagan allegedly threatened to harm Zevaya if Watson did not agree.
“He just wanted my phone. He’s screaming at me telling me what is the passcode, tell me the passcode, or she’s going to get hurt, and I’m telling him the passcode over and over, but I guess it just wasn’t enough,” said Watson.
Flanagan eventually acquired the phone and the passcode, but he still drove away with Zevaya and led deputies on a chase. During the 30-mile chase, he is reported to have collided with several vehicles and driven on the wrong side of the road. Flanagan was eventually apprehended after the car came to a halt.
The suspect did not sustain any injuries, but CPR was performed on his daughter before she was taken to a hospital where she died. “She was just such a happy baby and I just know she’s at peace,” Watson said about her daughter.
She also said the incident happened a week after she reached out to police about the deceased minor’s father, Fox Houston reported, and though she got in touch with law enforcement on three separate occasions, they told her they could not do anything about it.
“The first day I called, he took my child. I was giving her a bath, and he took her out of the tub, she wasn’t dressed, and he just took her out the house and drove away in a car, and didn’t bring her back until 11 a.m. the next day,” Watson said, adding that Flanagan started worrying her after they ended their relationship.
Flanagan, who has since been charged with murder, is being held on a $1 million bond. The victim’s family said it is their hope better action is taken to prevent such incidents from occurring.
“I wonder how many other Zevayas are around the world right now that are having the same problem in this city, in this state, we have to help one another,” Zevaya’s grandfather said.
