By Alex Lloyd Gross
A woman tasked with watching over a child in in jail for killing that child. Samilya Brown is alleged to have beaten 4 year old Zya Singleton inside a house on the 1700 block of Folsom Street. It was there that cops met Brown who told them the child fell out of a second floor window while playing with a cat. That was proven to be a lie very quickly. As officers went to take Singleton to the hospital,she was put in cold water by Brown.
In spite of heroic efforts, little Zya Singleton died on November 3 2019. The Medical Examiners office found many injuries including bruises to her scalp, head , cigarette burns to her arms and legs. She also had bite marks on her in addition to being malnourished. Brown was taken into custody today and charged with murder, child abuse and related charges. She is held without bail.
At a news conference, District Attorney Larry Krasner said, “This is a horrific, heartbreaking case of abuse, neglect, and murder of an innocent, defenseless child,” District Attorney Krasner said. “All children deserve care, protection, and love – no matter the circumstances of how they come into this world. I am grateful to the Philadelphia Police, especially Detectives Tracy Byard, Laura Hammond, and Vincent Strain; to the health care professionals involved in this case; and to Assistant District Attorney Chesley Lightsey for working to secure justice for Zya Singleton. I urge all members of the public to learn how to spot signs of child abuse, and encourage you to report suspected cases of abuse to authorities.”