BATON ROUGE, LA – Tragedy has struck in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where two young cousins, aged 10 and 12, have been held responsible for the death of a 3-year-old girl named Blessing Buckles. The incident happened while their mothers, Terica Scott and Dineshia Yates, were out at a casino, leaving eight children alone.
Both mothers, each aged 26, have been charged in connection with the tragic incident. The 10-year-old boy, son of Scott, and the 12-year-old, her nephew, are facing charges for causing the fatal injuries to Blessing Buckles, Yates’s daughter. The attack resulted in a severe brain bleed, instigating the involvement of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement officials visited Scott’s home on February 12 in response to a call about an unconscious child. Upon their arrival, the officers did not find any adults. Within the house, Scott and Yates arrived shortly afterward.
During the investigation, it became clear that the mothers had left the children alone for several hours while they were out at a casino. Scott admitted her nephew had a history of violent behavior towards other children. Yates, despite having observed bruises on one of her daughters after being left alone with the boy, ignored signs of impending danger.
Both Scott and Yates have been charged with being principal to simple battery and principal to second-degree murder. The alleged child assailants have been taken into custody and charged with battery and second-degree murder.
Blessing Buckles, the young victim brought to the hospital in critical condition, could not be saved and died two days later, on February 14, due to the injuries.
This shocking incident has added to the criminal records of Yates and Scott. Both women have previously faced legal consequences for theft and other offenses, including a murder charge for Scott which didn’t go to trial.
East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux expressed his sorrow over the case, emphasizing the need to report any signs of abuse, neglect, or desertion of children to law enforcement immediately.