SC mother of 2-year-old boy caused child’s death due to indifference, SLED says
An Aynor woman, who was arrested Thursday in connection to the death of a 2-year-old in March, provided inconsistent statements to how the child sustained injuries, according to a new warrant from The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Makiah Marie Long, 22, was charged with homicide by child abuse and two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child. Long is listed as one of the child’s parents, according to an obituary posted at the end of March.
Horry County Police officers on March 18 responded to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence where a 2-year-old male was suffering from brain injuries, The Sun News previously reported. The boy died from his injuries a few days later.
What the warrant says
According to the warrant from SLED, members of Long’s family told officers that the child was acting normally and had exhibited no signs of injury earlier in the day.
The 2-year-old was admitted into the hospital on March 17 with a “large hematoma on the center of (his) forehead,” according to the warrant. The child also had bruises on his face and body.
Horry County Police Officers were unable to determine where the injuries came from in their initial investigation, The Sun News previously reported. The injuries could have occurred in either Horry County or Marion County, according to a police report.
Long allegedly told officers that she drove the 2-year-old to a residence where he was “placed to sleep on a couch” before she left for a short period of time. She then told officers that the child became unresponsive and never woke, according to the report.
Long also provided inconsistent information as to how the 2-year-old sustained the hematoma, according to the report. SLED accused Long of causing the child’s death “under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life.”
Long remains at J. Reuben Long Detention Center, where she is being held without bail.
