‘My family don’t want me’: Girl found abandoned, malnourished in Georgia; mother, stepfather jailed
Police in Georgia believe a 9-year-old girl discovered sitting on a curb, wrapped in a sheet, was forced by her parents to live in the bathroom and denied food.
Updated: 9:06 AM EDT Mar 22, 2021
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HERE’S A LIVE LOOK FROM OUR SKYVIEW 22 CAMERA AT THE HOMEWOOD SUITES ON THE RIVER. – ***2-SHOT***} THANKS FOR STARTING YOUR DAY WITH WJCL 22! GOOD MORNING, I’M CHRIS TATUM. AND I’M ASHLEY GARRETT. WJCL’S METEROLOGIST JONATHAN MYERS IS ALSO HERE… WITH YOUR CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. NOW, HERE’S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR… TODAY LOTS OF CLOUDS, WITH A HIGH NEAR 72. NORTH WIND 10 TO 14 MPH. TONIGHT PARTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 52. NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 7 MPH. TUESDAY MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 72. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 9 MPH. TUESDAY NIGHT MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 56. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 7 MPH BECOMING CALM AFTER MIDNIGHT. WEDNESDAY MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 78 NOW, HERE’S YOUR STORM TRACKER RADAR… TODAY LOTS OF CLOUDS, WITH A HIGH NEAR 72. NORTH WIND 10 TO 14 MPH. TONIGHT PARTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 52. NORTHEAST WIND AROUND 7 MPH. TUESDAY MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 72. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 9 MPH. TUESDAY NIGHT MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A LOW AROUND 56. NORTHEAST WIND 5 TO 7 MPH BECOMING CALM AFTER MIDNIGHT. WEDNESDAY MOSTLY CLOUDY, WITH A HIGH NEAR 78 GEORGIA GOVERNOR BRIAN KEMP IS EXPECTED TO SIGN TWO BILLS INTO LAW TODAY OUR EMMA HAMILTON IS JOINING US LIVE WITH MORE ON HOW THESE NEW LAWS WILL SAVE YOU MONEY. ASHLEY, EVERYONE LIKES TO HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS AND THESE TWO BILLS RIGHT HERE WILL DO JUST THAT FOR MANY GEORGIANS. HOUSE BILL FIVE NINETY THREE WOULD CUT WHAT TAX PAYERS PAY WHEN FILING THEIR TAXES BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF INCOME .. THE STATE TAXES. FOR EXAMPLE .. THE STANDARD DEDUCTION FOR SOMEONE FILING SINGLY WOULD INCREASE BY EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS … IF YOU FILE WITH SOMEONE … THEN IT’S ELEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS. ANOTHER BILL HEADING TO THE GOVERNORS DESK LATER THIS MORNING IS HOUSE BILL ONE FOURTEEN. IT WILL INCREASE THE ANNUAL TAX INCENTIVE FOR ADOPTING A FOSTER CHILD FROM TWO THOUSAND …TO SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS. PARENTS WOULD RECEIVE THE SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR FIVE YEARS BEFORE IT GOES BACK DOWN TO TWO THOUSAND UNTIL THE CHILD TURNS EIGHTEEN. THE GOVERNOR IS EXPECTED TO SIGN THESE BILLS LATER THIS MORNING AT THE CAPITAL. ASHLEY. IN JUST HOURS, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAWMAKERS WILL DEBATE THE UPCOMING SPENDING PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR. IT COULD BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE TOURISM INDUSTRY- — WHICH HAS BEEN HIT HARD BY THE PANDEMIC. THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS LOOKING AT A TEN BILLION DOLLAR SPENDING PLAN THAT INCLUDES 21 MILLION DOLLARS FOR TOURISM. SOME BLUFFTON BUSINESS OWNERS SAY THEY ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW DISCUSSIONS OVER THE PLAN GO— SINCE BLUFFTON IS CLOSE TO SAVANNAH AND TWO BEACH TOWNS— IT COULD ALSO BENEFIT FROM TOURISM MONEY. SOME RESIDENTS TELL US THEY’RE READY TO SEE MORE TOURISTS. “BLUFFTON IS SUCH A HUGE TOURIST INDUSTRY, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT, TO UNDERSTAND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BE SAFE, WE WELCOME THEM!!” AMBER BYRD-RESIDENT OF BLUFFTON “COMING FROM DIFFERENT AREAS, AND YOU START AS A TOURIST, SO MANY PEOPLE COME HERE ON VACATION AND LOVE THE AREA. IT HELPS BLUFFTON GROW AND HAS A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.” AGAIN—- DISCUSSIONS OVER THAT SPENDING PLAN START TODAY. IN COLUMBIA– A CLOSER LOOK– AT ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATIONS– IN FULL SWING–FROM OVER THE WEEKEND. HUNDREDS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA CELEBRATED WITH MASSIVE PARTIES .. BUT NO MASK-S WERE IN SIGHT. ORGANIZERS SAY- THEY CANCELED– THEIR PARTIES–LAST YEAR BUT DECIDED TO OPEN IT BACK UP THIS YEAR– SINCE– SOUTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER– LIFTED RE- STRICTIONS. BUT— THEY SAY– THEY DID TAKE STEPS –TO KEEP– EVERYONE– SAFE. ALEX WAELDE: WE MAKE SURE NO ONE’S BEEN EXPOSED TO CORONAVIRUS. AND WE FOLLOW THE WHOLE LIKE, IF YOU’RE NOT EATING, DRINKING OR SMOKING, YOU OUGHT TO BE WEARING A MASK. AUTHORITIES WERE ON SCENE TO MAKE SURE- FOLKS WERE WEARING A– MASK. THEY SAY– NO– TICKETS WERE HANDED OUT— INSTEAD–ONLY– WARNINGS. IN SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HEALTH LEADERS SAY- THERE’S– MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED AND 59- THOUSAND CASES OF COVID-19. THEY SAY– MORE THAN– 79- HUNDRED PEOPLE HAVE DIED. IN GEORGIA- STATE HEALTH LEADERS SAY- THERE’S MORE THAN–EIGHT HUNDRED AND 43 – THOUSAND CASES. THEY SAY– MORE THAN 16- THOUSAND-ONE HUNDRED– PEOPLE HAVE DIED. MIAMI BEACH POLICE ARE GETTING AGGRESSIVE – THIS MORNING – WITH SOME UNRULY SPRING BREAKERS… YEAH ASHLEY… PARTICULARLY SPRING BREAKERS WHO REFUSE TO WEAR MASKS…. AND SOCIAL DISTANCE.. SUNDAY MIAMI BEACH, FL –VO SCRIPT– THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH CONTINUES TO DEAL WITH UNRULY SPRING BREAKERS–MANY OF WHICH ARE ADULTS, NOT COLLEGE STUDENTS. AGAIN ON SUNDAY, MIAMI BEACH POLICE BEGAN ENFORCING A CURFEW STARTING AT EIGHT P-M AS PART OF AN EFFORT TO FIGHT THE COVID PANDEMIC. THE EMERGENCY ORDER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH, AS THE CITY DEALS WITH UNPRECEDENTED SPRING BREAK CROWDS. CITY MANAGER RAUL AGUILA WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO EXTEND THE CURFEW THROUGH APRIL 13TH IF SUNDAY MIAMI BEACH, FL POLICE ARRESTED THAT MAN… AND RIGHTFULLY SO.; BIG QUESTION THIS MORNING– WILL WE HAVE ANOTHER COVID-19 SURGE HERE IN THE U-S- THAT DEPENDS ON WHICH MEDICAL EXPERT YOU ASK. BUT AS BRITT CONWAY REPORTS – COVID SAFETY RESTRICTIONS CONTINUE TO EASE- AND SPRING BREAKERS- CONTINUE TO PARTY. MORE PARTYING IN MIAMI. MORE TRAVEL. FEWER RESTRICTIONS. AS MEDICAL EXPERTS WARN– THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER. ANDY SLAVITT, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER FOR COVID RESPONSE: “I KNOW THAT PEOPLE SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND THEY SHOULD NOT CONFUSE THAT WITH BEING DONE.” ACCORDING TO DATA FROM JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY– IN THE PAST WEEK, THERE WAS AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 55,000 NEW CASES REPORTED EVERY DAY IN THE U-S. ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS NOW: WILL WE SEE A FOURTH SURGE? THAT’S WHERE SOME MEDICAL EXPERTS ARE DIVIDED. ONE DOCTOR IS POINTING TO PRIOR INFECTIONS AND VACCINATIONS. DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER, PFIZER BOARD MEMBER, CBS “FACE THE NATION”: “WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SOME FORM OF PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY IN ABOUT 55% OF THE POPULATION SO THERE’S ENOUGH OF A BACKSTOP HERE THAT I DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A 4TH SURGE. I THINK WHAT YOU COULD SEE IS A PLATEAUING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.” IT’S THAT PLATEAU THAT HAS ANOTHER DOCTOR WORRIED– HE’S POINTING TO THE PAST. DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR, NBC “TODAY SHOW”: “HISTORY HAS SHOWN US, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT PLATEAUING, THAT’S USUALLY THE FORERUNNER OF ANOTHER SURGE. WE’VE ACTUALLY SEEN THAT IN THE EUROPEAN UNION.” BUT ANOTHER MEDICAL EXPERT SAYS — INSTEAD OF PREDICTING THE FUTURE– HE WANTS TO PREPARE FOR IT– ANDY SLAVITT, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER FOR COVID RESPONSE: “WE HAVE ABOUT 70% OF SENIORS VACCINATED NOW, AND WE HAVE ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF ADULTS THAT HAVE HAD THEIR FIRST SHOT, AND THAT STILL LEAVES A GOOD BIT TO GO SO WE’RE NOT THERE.” THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING PEOPLE VACCINATED– IS WHERE ALL THREE EXPERTS AGREE. I’M BRITT CONWAY REPORTING. THE PAST TEN DAYS HAVE SEEN MORE THAN ONE MILLION AMERICANS PASS THROUGH–T-S-A— SECURITY SCREENINGS— AND SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR– PLACES– WERE– BEACHES– AROUND FLORIDA’S TAMPA BAY-AREA. CROWDS GATHERED— BUT MANY PEOPLE SAY– THEY’RE– STILL BEING CAUTIOUS. MARIE FUENTES/ VISITING FROM ORLANDO: “I USE MY MASK BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.” FRANCISCO COLUMNA/ VISITING FROM NEW JERSEY: “WE ALSO KEEP A DISTANCE AND WE RESPECT WHEN WE GO TO A RESTAURANT AND DIFFERENT PLACES, WE WEAR OUR MASK.” MARTHA ROBERTS & HALLE RITTGERS/ VISITING FROM MINNESOTA” “WE WERE PRETTY CAUTIOUS WHEN WE WERE FLYING AND WERE STAYING IN A CUTE LITTLE AIR BNB BY OURSELVES AND BEING VERY CAREFUL AROUND THE BEACHES AND STUFF. WE ENDED UP DOUBLE MASKING ON THE PLANE AND TRYING NOT TO TOUCH TOO MUCH. WE BROUGHT OUR HAND SANITIZER AND EVERYTHING.” HAYDEN ABREU – VISITING FROM TAMPA RESIDENT: “PEOPLE RESPECT THAT. ESPECIALLY AT THE FOOD PLACE. PEOPLE WERE WEARING THEIR MASKS AND STAYING 6 FEET APART WHICH WAS NICE. BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE AROUND PEOPLE RIGHT NOW YOU KNOW? EVERYBODY’S BEEN GOOD ABOUT IT.” IN THE MIDWEST– — ARKANSAS COULD SOON GET RID OF ITS MASK MANDATE. HOWEVER— THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT DEPENDS ON HOW RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO HANDLE–THE–PAN- DEMIC. GOV. ASA HUTCHINSON: “I ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL, UH, LIFT THE MASK MANDATE. UH, I SET A GOAL THAT IF WE HAVE LOW HOSPITALIZATIONS, IF WE CONTINUE TO REDUCE OUR CASES, UH, POSITIVITY RATE IS LOW, THEN WE CAN LIFT THE MASK MANDATE. AND SO I SET SOME GOALS AND, UH, AND WE’RE MAKING THOSE GOALS. SO I EXPECT THAT TO BE LIFTED. IT’S NOT GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VIRUS AND THAT WE’VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO PAY ATTENTION.” THOUSANDS– MARCHTO THE GEORGIA STATE CAPITOL– TO PROTEST HATE AGAINST ASIANS. THOSE MARCHES ARE CONTINUING ACROSS THE U-S TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF LAST WEEK’S– SPA KILLINGS IN ATLANTA. MANY IN THE CROWDS AREN’T RELATED TO THE EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED IN THE ATLANTA SPA ATTACKS .. BUT STILL SAY– THEY– FEEL CONNECTED. MEMORIALS WITH FLOWERS AND SIGNS CONTINUE GROWING AT THE SPAS. FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY .. THERE’S NOW A HEIGHTENED INCREASE IN WORRY– AS MANY FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY. JOEY CHEN/ ATTENDED VIGIL: “WE KIND OF FEEL A LITTLE BIT EDGY FOR OUR SECURITY WHEN WE’RE WALKING DOWN THE STREET JUST FOR SIMPLY BEING ASIAN.” “IT’S NOTHING NEW. ALL THAT STUFF HAS BEEN HAPPENING. IT JUST TAKES A BIG TRAGEDY TO BRING LIGHT TO IT.” OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE JOINING IN ON THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE ..TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF– ANTI-ASIAN VIOLENCE. SATURDAY .. ATLANTA MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS ENCOURAGED PROSECUTORS AND POLICE TO CONSIDER HATE CRIME CHARGES AGAINST THE SUSPECT. A CHURCH IN NORTH FULTON COUNTY IS REMOVING THE SUSPECT IN THE ATLANTA SPA ATTACKS FROM ITS MEMBERSHIP. THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION REPORTS CRAB- APPLE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN MILTON REMOVED ROBERT AARON LONG AFTER SAYING *QUOTE* IT CAN NO LONGER AFFIRM THAT HE IS TRULY A –RE-GENERATE– BELIEVER– IN JESUS CHRIST. LONG FACES MULTIPLE CHARGES .. INCLUDING EIGHT COUNTS OF MURDER. INVESTIGATORS SAY LONG TOLD THEM HE COMMITTED THE MURDERS AT SPAS IN ORDER TO GET RID OF THE TEMPTATION– OF– GOING TO– ONE OF THE SPAS– FOR– SEX-UAL — SERVICES. THERE’S NO EVIDENCE THE THREE SPAS–HE’S– ACCUSED OF OPENING FIRE ON– HAVE– THOSE— KINDS OF ACTIVITIES. GEORGIA SENATORS JON OSSOFF AND RAPHAEL WARNOCK ATTENDED THE RALLIES IN ATLANTA SATURDAY. TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT SENATOR WARNOCK– HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE SHOOTINGS. SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK: ” “I KNOW THAT, UH, LOOK, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL GO THROUGH THE WORK THAT THEY NEED TO DO, BUT WE ALL KNOW HATE WHEN WE SEE IT. AND, UH, IT IS TRAGIC THAT WE’VE BEEN VISITED WITH THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE YET AGAIN, AND I’M GOING TO BE DOING EVERYTHING IN MY POWERS AS A UNITED STATES SENATOR TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, FAMILIES DON’T HAVE TO ENDURE THIS KIND OF VIOLENCE IN THE FIRST PLACE.” THE TIME IS NOW _-_. COMING UP—- THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING TO– TIGHTEN ITS CONTROL OVER THE SOUTHERN BORDER– AS MORE MIGRANTS TRY TO CROSS OVER. COMING UP… I’LL HAVE A LOOK AT YOUR CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. BUT FIRST… LET’S TAKE A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE. HERE’S A LIVE LOOK FROM OUR SKYVIEW 22 CAMERA — LOOKING AT “HOTEL TYBEE”. HERE ARE CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW FOR SAVANNAH. THE TEMPERATURES WILL
‘My family don’t want me’: Girl found abandoned, malnourished in Georgia; mother, stepfather jailed
Police in Georgia believe a 9-year-old girl discovered sitting on a curb, wrapped in a sheet, was forced by her parents to live in the bathroom and denied food.
Updated: 9:06 AM EDT Mar 22, 2021
Above video: Your morning headlinesAuthorities are investigating the apparent abuse and neglect of two children taken from New York and found in Georgia, WSB reports.Lashanda Adesida said when she was leaving her apartment last week, she spotted a child sitting on the curb, wrapped in a sheet.The little girl told the woman, “My family don’t want me. They just left me.”Norcross Police say the girl, 9, may have been repeatedly held in a bathroom and denied food. Her mother and stepfather have been arrested and jailed. Adesida took the girl in and called police. Police soon realized the girl and her 6-year-old sister were missing out of Brooklyn, New York.Authorities say they were taken from foster care by their mom, Nurielle Alexander, and stepfather, Kheperu Waterman.A temporary restraining order had been filed in New York against them prior to the December taking of the children.Investigators believe the couple fled to Georgia under assumed names to hide out and stayed at hotels and apartments around the Norcross area.Police took the 9-year-old to a hospital where she has been treated for days for possible malnutrition.“When she stood and started walking towards me, I could see it looked like she hadn’t been eating because you could see the bones in her neck and her wrists were real little,” Adesida said. “She was like ‘Yeah, I’m really hungry and I want some water. I’m thirsty.’” Norcross police confirm they are investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect. New York authorities are also involved.Jail records show Alexander and Waterman are being held with bond on charges of child cruelty and interference with child custody. “It’s unbelievable someone could do that to a baby,” Adesida said as she began crying. “I can’t believe someone would do a baby like that.”
Above video: Your morning headlines
Authorities are investigating the apparent abuse and neglect of two children taken from New York and found in Georgia, WSB reports.
Lashanda Adesida said when she was leaving her apartment last week, she spotted a child sitting on the curb, wrapped in a sheet.
The little girl told the woman, “My family don’t want me. They just left me.”
Norcross Police say the girl, 9, may have been repeatedly held in a bathroom and denied food. Her mother and stepfather have been arrested and jailed.
Adesida took the girl in and called police.
Police soon realized the girl and her 6-year-old sister were missing out of Brooklyn, New York.
Authorities say they were taken from foster care by their mom, Nurielle Alexander, and stepfather, Kheperu Waterman.
A temporary restraining order had been filed in New York against them prior to the December taking of the children.
Investigators believe the couple fled to Georgia under assumed names to hide out and stayed at hotels and apartments around the Norcross area.
Police took the 9-year-old to a hospital where she has been treated for days for possible malnutrition.
“When she stood and started walking towards me, I could see it looked like she hadn’t been eating because you could see the bones in her neck and her wrists were real little,” Adesida said. “She was like ‘Yeah, I’m really hungry and I want some water. I’m thirsty.’”
Norcross police confirm they are investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect. New York authorities are also involved.
Jail records show Alexander and Waterman are being held with bond on charges of child cruelty and interference with child custody.
“It’s unbelievable someone could do that to a baby,” Adesida said as she began crying. “I can’t believe someone would do a baby like that.”
