NORFOLK, Va. — The mother of an infant who died at just 9 days old was denied bond on Tuesday.
Z'ibreyea Parker, 21, remains behind bars after she was denied bond. The bond for the child's father, Hilary Johnson II, was withdrawn by his attorney. They both face second-degree murder charges in baby I’ijayah's death.
Crime
Court documents reveal details about death of 9-day-old baby taken to CHKD
On May 4, police went to CHKD after they got a call for an unresponsive baby showing signs of abuse. Pictures detailing the baby's injuries were shown in court for the judge to see.
News 3 cameras could not roll on those photos, but it detailed severe burns on the infant's feet, along with splash burns on other areas of her body, including a large hand print on the baby's back, according to the judge.
News 3's Kelsey Jones spoke with Hilary Johnson Sr., I’ijayah's grandfather. He says he's devastated by the loss of his granddaughter.
"I know I'm not going to ever get no closure. My mind is boggled right now," he said. "I wanted to do right by her, but she was taken away. Grabbing on my leg, all of that, all that stuff was taken away from me, it's not fair."
Johnson Sr. was over the moon when he welcomed his first grandchild into the world. He shared pictures of I'ijayah (shown below), not knowing they would be the last he'll ever have.
"I wanted to give her a shot, a chance at something beautiful. A beautiful life that a little girl deserves," he said.
Court documents also state that the autopsy showed symptoms of shaken baby syndrome and revealed the child had several bruises on her head and broken ribs.
"That's why I alarmed hospital staff, tried to talk to everybody. I ensured my granddaughter she was going to be safe," said Johnson Sr.
Johnson Sr. said he worried that his son and daughter-in-law were not fit to be parents. He says he even warned staff at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital that he feared for the baby's life, but he says his plea fell on deaf ears.
"I said I feared for the girl's life," Johnson said. "What in the world else am I supposed to do? Now, I got to bury my granddaughter because nobody listened."
His concerns also stemmed from the baby's parents being homeless and struggling with mental health.
Police say the parents were living in a tent near I-264 and Campostella. It's unclear how long they have been homeless.
We reached out to Sentara after Johnson Sr. told us his plea for help was ignored. A spokesperson for Sentara shared the following statement:
"Sentara has policies and procedures to ensure that suspicions of child abuse or neglect and other reportable concerns are investigated in accordance with the law."
Parker is due back in court on July 18. At this time, it's unclear when Johnson will be back in court.
Johnson Sr. is hoping to raise funds for the child's funeral. A link to the fundraiser is here.
