Endia Walker (Lynchburg Police Department).
Authorities in Virginia on Monday added a felony homicide charge against a 23-year-old mother whose infant son died malnourished and with his skin “peeling away,” cops say.
Endia Walker had already been facing felony child neglect charges, the Lynchburg Police Department said. The investigation began around 4:30 p.m. on March 26 when cops and paramedics responded to a home in the 600 block of Leesville Road for a call about an unresponsive infant.
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Paramedics rushed the boy to a local hospital, where doctors tried to save him, but the efforts were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead a short time after arrival. A week later, cops arrested Walker on the child neglect charges.
Local ABC affiliate WSET obtained the arrest warrants that described the horrible condition in which the boy was allegedly found. The baby was “in an obvious state of malnutrition.” In addition, he “had several open sores to the extent portions of his skin was peeling away.” Walker reportedly told detectives she would leave the boy and other children “for extensive periods of time without anyone supervising” them.
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Walker was also arrested for DUI earlier in March, the TV station reported. Her children were reportedly wandering her apartment complex alone at the time.
Lynchburg police Sgt. Barbara Gibson said it’s important to notify police or social services about neglected children.
“A big thing we need to get out to the public is you need to reach out,” she said. “There’s plenty of resources out here. If your child is not acting the way it should be, then call 911. Let us come out, check and get you in touch with resources.”
