Mother and grandmother charged with murder after girl, 9, dies from LICE INFESTATION!
TUCSON, ARIZONA: A mother and grandmother are reportedly facing first-degree murder charges following the tragic death of a nine-year-old girl.
Sandra Kraykovich, 38, and Elizabeth Kraykovich, 64, are the mother and grandmother of the unidentified child who was found unresponsive by Tucson Fire Department officials when they responded to a 911 call. The deceased child was located at an apartment in the 8200 block of East Golf Links Road around 2.30 pm on March 22. Court documents suggest that authorities were unable to resuscitate the child and noticed a “large amount of bugs began to cover her face." The rescue workers also said there were “enormous amounts of lice in her hair."
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Responding officers at the scene raised concerns regarding the living conditions and welfare of two other children in the household. The home, which was located inside a gated apartment complex, was described as dirty and in a general state of disarray. An investigation was launched by detectives from the Child Physical Abuse Unit, who examined the residence and spoke to the adults and children in the household. Sandra and Elizabeth were subsequently charged with Class 2 felony child abuse.
Speaking to the police, the mother said her daughter had been sick since March 15 and was anemic. She listed the symptoms as vomiting, fever, headache, difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, and balance issues when walking. A number of disturbing texts were exchanged between Sandra and Elizabeth, court records revealed. The messages noted how the child couldn't walk without falling, was dropping things, and was having difficulty breathing. In one of the texts, Sandra told Elizabeth that the child “can’t go to the emergency room with her hair but that’s left up to me cause you’re not home.” In another message, Elizabeth accused Sandra of being more interested in spending time with her boyfriend than caring for her ailing child. Meanwhile, some other texts suggested that the pair knew the girl was sick since March 8.
On March 21, Sandra reportedly messaged her boyfriend writing, “OMG babe. Listen I’m in my room and my mom called me. [Redacted] was asking if I could check on her to make sure she isn’t dying.” Her boyfriend reportedly told her to take the child to the hospital, but she is said to have refused. Investigators wrote in an affidavit how Sandra admitted during interrogation that “if she had sought medical care, [her daughter] would probably still be alive."
Both the mother and grandmother were arrested in March and initially charged with felony abuse due to their treatment of the deceased child's siblings, aged 11 and 13. Authorities said both children were also suffering from severe lice infestations. However, they were placed in the custody of other family members. An autopsy conducted by the Pima County Medical Examiner found that the little girl's cause of death was neglect. “There is a cause of death. The manner is undetermined,” Medical Examiner Dr. Gregory L. Hess reportedly said last month. “She died from anemia from untreated lice infestation with malnutrition as a contributing factor. That’s the cause.” The examiner also noted that the child had fluid buildup in her lung, pale skin and organs, liver necrosis, as well as an iron deficiency.
Sandra is currently remanded in custody at the Pima County Adult Detention Center on a $55,000 bond. However, records for Elizabeth weren't immediately available. According to KGUN 9, the family had recently moved to Tucson and were facing eviction.