Background: News footage of the scene where Aurionah-Rakii-Karie Parker-White allegedly stabbed her three children (WBBM). Inset: Aurionah-Rakii-Karie Parker-White (Chicago Police Department).
An Illinois woman was accused of stabbing her three young children at their home, and one of the kids told hospital staffers that their mom was allegedly trying to “make them go to heaven.”
Aurionah-Rakii-Karie Parker-White, 23, was charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of aggravated battery to a child after she and her three children — who are 1, 3 and 5 years old — were found by a tow truck driver outside their Chicago apartment. According to courtroom reporting by WMAQ, a local NBC affiliate, prosecutors said on Saturday that Parker-White’s 1-year-old daughter was spotted by a tow truck driver on Wednesday wearing nothing except a bloody diaper.
According to court documents obtained by local Fox affiliate WILD, the driver, 50-year-old DeVaughen Stringfellow, then reportedly saw Parker-White leaving the home carrying another one of her children, who was also covered in blood. Stringfellow rushed the family of four to a nearby hospital.
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Stringfellow spoke to local CBS affiliate WBBM about his encounter with Parker-White, telling the outlet, “She kept screaming, like, ‘I need help! Help me! My baby! I called the police! They didn’t come!’ So, at first, I wasn’t going to put them in my truck with the blood — but I threw them all in the truck.”
Police said that all three children had wounds to their wrists and were admitted to the hospital in serious condition on Wednesday. Upon their arrival at the scene, there was reportedly a trail of blood going from the apartment out to the street.
Prosecutors stated that Parker-White allegedly told several law enforcement officers that she stabbed her children and knew that what she did was wrong. Her apparent reason for the alleged attack was the stress of having to care for the children alone. WMAQ reported that a nurse and a security guard at the hospital told police that Parker-White allegedly “did it because she had no help.”
According to WMAQ, Stringfellow said that Parker-White’s 5-year-old son reportedly attempted to console his mother after the alleged attack, telling her “it’s gonna be alright” and not to cry.
The same little boy also allegedly told hospital staff that his mother “was going to make them go to heaven,” prosecutors said.
In addition to her alleged attempt to kill her children, Parker-White reportedly told police that she also wanted to kill herself.
After Parker-White’s court appearance on Saturday, a judge ordered that she be held at Cook County Jail until she goes to trial. Her next court appearance was scheduled for June 6.
