Youth Services detectives today arrested the mother and grandmother of a 17-month-old boy who starved to death in January.
The mother, Chisa Hughes, 23, of Clifton Avenue, is named in a grand jury indictment charging first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated child neglect. The grandmother, Katina Ballard, 49, of Cardinal Avenue, has been indicted on two counts of failure to report child abuse and one count of aggravated child neglect.
The father of the child, Jerald Hicks, 24, who was arrested January 28th on warrants charging criminal homicide and aggravated child neglect, is now under indictment on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and two counts of aggravated child neglect.
Hicks brought his son, Jerald Hicks, Jr., to the emergency room of Centennial Medical Center on the night of January 24. He was dead on arrival with a body temperature so low that it could not be registered. Jerald, Jr., weighed only ten pounds and appeared to be extremely malnourished. An autopsy determined that Jerald Jr., died of starvation and hypothermia.
Hicks’ 31-month-old daughter was also brought to Centennial Medical Center at the same time as Jerald, Jr. She was taken to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital to be evaluated and was diagnosed as suffering from severe malnutrition.
During the course of the investigation, detectives learned that electricity in Hicks’ apartment was turned off earlier in January and that the unit was unheated.
The mother, Hughes, did not live with Hicks, but did see the children earlier in January. The grandmother, Ballard, was a caretaker for her granddaughter during a time in December and did not report that she was at risk.
Hughes and Ballard were arrested at Juvenile Court this morning where they were to have attended a hearing regarding their daughter/granddaughter.
Jerald Hicks and Chisa Hughes are being held without bond. Bond for Ballard is set at $50,000.
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