Brooklyn Woman Arraigned In Connection With Ailing Daughter's Death
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A Brooklyn woman was arraigned Saturday on charges that she killed her emaciated, ailing daughter.
Carlotta Brett-Pierce faces charges of assault, reckless endangerment and child endangerment, and is being held on $300,000 bail ahead of a court appearance later this week.
She did not enter a plea.
The city medical examiner said more tests were needed to determine how four-year-old Marchella Pierce died. More charges could be filed pending the medical examiner's tests.
Police found Marchella inside her Bedford-Stuyvesant home Thursday, after her mother called 911 to say the girl was unconscious.
Marchella was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they arrested Brett-Pierce based on the condition of the girl's body, which appeared to be severely underweight. She also seemed to have marks on her ankles, which led authorities to believe she had been tied to her bed.
Four lengths of rope were found on a small bed or crib, along with an oxygen mask, in the home.
Marchella's father said the girl was born premature with serious health problems, including undersized lungs.
The Administration for Children's Services says it is investigating the case and added that the agency's workers visited the family throughout the summer.