CROCKETT, Texas — The Crockett Police Department arrested two parents on capital murder charges in the death of their infant child.
According to police, officers responded to the Crockett Medical Center on Sept. 30 after receiving a report of a vehicle headed to the hospital with an unresponsive two-month-old infant. Doctors determined the infant's condition as critical. He was transferred to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
Doctors told investigators the child was likely a victim of abuse, and the child would likely not survive. At that time, CPS launched a joint investigation with police.
Crockett police sent detectives to Houston to meet with medical staff as well as the child's parents..
The medical staff told police the child suffered critical internal injuries, a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken bones and ribs. A child abuse team confirmed the injuries were consistent with abuse.
CPD says the parents, 22-year-old Natayia Kamari Thomas and 23-year-old Ashton Derione Sessum, told police they moved to Crockett from the Houston area.
At first, the parents did not provide an explanation for the child's injuries. However, police say Sessum admitted to dropping the infant and violently shaking the infant on a separate occassion.
According to CPD, police detectives looked at the phones of Sessum and Thomas and discovered Thomas was aware of the Sessum's abuse of the child. However, police say Thomas did nothing to protect the child.
On Oct. 4, the child died from his injuries. Police say the cause of death was abusive head trauma. There will be an autopsy from the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.
Police obtained arrested warrants for both parents and charged them with Capital Murder- Child under 10. Their bonds were set at $1 million.
On Tuesday, Crockett and Houston police arrested both Sessum and Thomas and took them to the Harris County Processing Unit. Afterward, they were taken back to Crockett to the face the charges against them.
The case is still under investigation.
