An Indiana woman has been charged with drowning her cousin’s 4-year-old daughter while babysitting more than a year ago.
Nakia Martin, 39, was arrested in December and extradited to Texas, where the drowning took place on September 8, 2023, WISH reported.
Courtney Fischer, chief of communications at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, mentioned that the delay occurred because investigators were conducting interviews and awaiting an autopsy report.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Martin, hailing from Muncie, Indiana, was in Texas looking after her cousin’s children while the cousin was in Indiana. On September 9, she contacted the police and informed them that she had discovered the young girl in bed that morning, cold to the touch and foaming at the mouth.
However, two of the girl’s siblings informed the authorities that Martin had applied “blessing oil” on their necks and then escorted them to a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. There, she attempted to drown them and coerced them by threatening them with dire consequences if they disclosed the events.
Martin Probable Cause by kc wildmoon on Scribd
The children saw Martin hold the 4-year-old under water while she struggled and pulled on her babysitter’s hair. The children were not interviewed until June 2024.
The children’s mother told investigators that she had FaceTimed with Martin the night before and that she was “acting strangely and ranting about God,” the document says. She said that was the last time she saw the little girl alive.
After the 4-year-old died in the tub, Martin allegedly put lotion on her and put her to bed. Hours later, she called a family member and then 911.
Martin was brought back to Texas on December 30, but the district attorney’s office hadn’t spoken about it until this week. Martin’s next court hearing is March 20, and prosecutors say they’ll seek a $2 million bond at that time.
