Woman allegedly sicced 103-pound rottweiler on 9-year-old girl who then died; prosecutors want death penalty for suspect
A Florida woman allegedly sicced a 103-pound Rottweiler on her boyfriend’s 9-year-old daughter. The vicious dog attack was fatal. Now, prosecutors are calling for the death penalty against the suspect.
Tyshael Elise Martin, 34, was arrested in August in connection with the death of the girl, Jamaria Sessions. Martin was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
‘I’m fixing to kill her.’
The young girl was found dead June 17 at a home in Montverde — about 25 miles west of Orlando.
Shortly before 5 a.m., officials answered a call regarding an unresponsive child and found Jamaria naked with “a significant number of abrasions, small punctures, burns, possible bite marks, and bruising covering her body, all in various stages of healing,” according to the probable cause arrest affidavit.
According to the sheriff’s office, the girl’s injuries were “consistent with physical abuse.”
The girl had suffered “superficial lacerations indicative of being pinched with significant force, her face was swollen, some of her teeth were broken, she had blood in her left ear along with a penetration wound behind her ear, and contusions all over her body,” the affidavit stated.
The document also said “the medical examiner noted the number of superficial injuries covering the majority of her body, and advised it appeared to be torture inflicted by fingernails and injuries consistent with being struck by something, possibly wire.”
Sheriff’s detectives obtained more than 2,800 surveillance videos from inside and outside the home. Six videos from the night of June 15 show a large dog attacking the girl.
The affidavit stated, “Jamaria Sessions being viciously attacked by the family pet, a 103-pound male Rottweiler as Jamaria was just out of frame, however, Tyshael Martin could be seen holding the leash of the dog and is heard encouraging the dog to bite Jamaria Sessions as Jamaria laid on the floor, ending with Jamaria Sessions attempting to stand up in the doorway coming into frame.”
Authorities said the video shows the dog biting Jamaria’s head “at the command of Tyshael Martin.”
Martin allegedly ordered the “staggering, nude, and disheveled” Sessions to stand in the room with her arms up.
“This prompted Tyshael Martin to deliver a kick to the rear of the child causing her to collapse to the floor,” according to the arrest affidavit. “The child lay motionless, moaning in pain, as Tyshael Martin continued to kick her hip and eventually her stomach area at full force.”
Martin reportedly grabbed Sessions by her hair and dragged her across the floor and continued to command Jamaria to stand up, but the girl “physically could not comply.”
The affidavit said, “The next video clip begins with Tyshael Martin stating what sounds like, ‘I’m fixing to kill her.’”
Sheriff’s detectives said the girl had previously been hit with objects, kicked, punched, and pinched.
According to Law & Crime, state attorneys in Florida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Tyshael Martin.
Jamaria’s father – 27-year-old LoJuan Sessions – also was arrested in August and has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Martin and Sessions are both in Lake County Jail without bond
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