Mother, teen brother of 7-year-old girl arrested, charged with murder, sex abuse at Bronx home
The mother and teen brother of a 7-year-old girl have been arrested and charged with her horrifying beating death and sexual abuse in their Bronx home, cops and prosecutors said Wednesday.
It’s been more than 10 months between little Julissia Batties’ agonizing August 2021 death.
She was “punched all over her body and sexually abused prior to the fatal blow,” according to a Bronx District Attorney spokesperson — and the arrest of members of her own immediate family.
Although the mom, Navasia Jones, 36, and her son, Paul Fine, 18, gave different accounts of what happened to the girl, prosecutors said there’s more than enough evidence to charge them both in the stunning crime.
The ongoing violence against the defenseless little girl was compounded by the vile 1st degree sexual abuse for which her half-brother was charged.
“Her seven years on Earth for a lifetime of pain, abuse, neglect, and cruelty because of the individual that we’re about to speak about,” Bronx DA Darcel Clark told reporters before announcing the charges against Jones and Fine.
“A woman and her teenage son caused the death of her innocent, defenseless 7-year-old daughter, Julissia, in their Bronx home. The child was beaten and sexually abused and denied medical attention. This is a revolting, disturbing case of brutality and callousness.”
Clark was joined by Julissia’s heartbroken dad, Julius Batties, who wore a purple t-shirt that featured a picture of his smiling little girl. Pinned to the shirt was another picture of Julissia. He said he was “devastated” by her death.
“I was the one left in the dark,” Batties said, fighting back tears. “Seeing her like that because the system failed me and my kid. All that pain and suffering and no one did anything for my daughter. She’s my everything.”
Earlier, the belligerent mother maintained her innocence as she was led out of the 40th Precinct stationhouse after her arrest.
“I did not kill my daughter, b—h,” Jones sneered at news reporters and photographers as she was led away in handcuffs and leg irons to appear in Bronx Criminal Court.