A 9-year-old girl’s mom and grandmother have been accused of killing after she died from a serious lice illness.
Sandra Kraykovich, 38, and Elizabeth Kraykovich, 64, the mother and grandmother of the unnamed infant, were arrested and jailed with first-degree murder in Arizona.
According to court records, the couple was charged with child abuse when emergency services came to their Tucson home on March 22 and discovered the daughter unconscious with ‘a big quantity of bugs on her face.’
‘Upon closer investigation, it was determined that there was a significant number of lice in her hair,’ emergency staff told officers.
Officials believe text conversations show the girl’s mom was aware she was unwell but did not seek medical attention due to lice. Sandra said to authorities that her daughter was suffering from anaemia, vomiting, fever, migraines, and difficulty keeping her equilibrium.
According to one of Sandra’s elder daughters, her mom tried to cure her younger sister’s lice with mouthwash.
According to phone records, Sandra contacted her boyfriend on March 14 and 15, realizing that her daughter required medical treatment, and on March 21, Sandra texted her boyfriend: ‘OMG darling. Listen, I’m in my room, and my mother has phoned. (redacted) asked me to check on her to make sure she wasn’t dying.’
Sandra declined to take the sick girl to the hospital despite her boyfriend’s request, according to authorities.
The kid’s grandmother was also conscious of her daughter’s predicament, threatening to phone 911 while watching her and her daughter’s other kids, but finally opted against it, messaging Sandra that the girl “can’t go to the ER with her hair but that’s left to me because you’re not home.”
According to an autopsy, the little girl died of anaemia caused by a lice infestation, and starvation played a role in her death.
The Pima County Medical Examiner ruled that negligence was the reason for death for the nine-year-old.
Sandra’s 11 and 13-year-old kids were placed in the custody of family members following the mom and grandmother’s original arrest for child abuse when authorities learned they were also suffering from a lice infestation.
According to an affidavit, Sandra testified to police that her neglect caused her youngest child’s death, informing officers that if she had sought medical attention, the little girl would probably still be alive.
