Ohio mother charged with murder after baby dies from injuries suffered at 7 weeks old
A Franklin County woman is facing a murder charge after her baby girl died more than a year after being taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital at 7 weeks old with multiple head injuries.
Auzaya Roddy, 23, is now charged with murder, according to Franklin County Common Pleas Court records.
Roddy previously faced charges of endangering children and felonious assault in relation to 7-week-old Royalty Erby-Baker's injuries.
Around 4:45 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2023, Columbus police got a call about the baby girl not breathing at an apartment on the first block of Jefferson Avenue.
Paramedics took Royalty to Nationwide Children's Hospital and worked to resuscitate her, finally regaining a pulse, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.
Doctors were able to determine Royalty had skull fractures on both sides of her head, as well as brain bleeding, retinal hemorrhages in both eyes and brain damage because of a lack of oxygen, according to court records. Royalty also had healing rib fractures that had previously occurred.
Court records say the doctors treating Royalty told detectives the injuries were not consistent with an infant accidentally being injured and raised concerns of physical abuse.
Roddy was not able to provide the doctors or detectives with any information about how Royalty was hurt, and no one else had been with Roddy and the infant in the day leading up to Royalty being taken to the hospital, court records say.
Royalty died on May 11, 2024, as a result of the continuing effects of the January 2023 injuries, police confirmed.
Roddy's felonious assault case was set for trial on May 16, but the trial date was continued and no new date had been set as of Friday afternoon.
Roddy has been in the Franklin County jail since April. Court records show she was released on bond while awaiting trial in the felonious assault case. However, she had not followed conditions of her release and her bond was revoked, court records say.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio mother charged with murder after baby dies from brain injuries
