A Hawthorne mother and her boyfriend are facing child abuse and murder charges in the death of a 7-year-old girl who arrived unresponsive to a hospital last week.
Officers were called to Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Willowbrook regarding what was suspected to be fatal child abuse just before 1 p.m. Sept. 9, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Wednesday.
The unidentified victim was brought to the hospital by her mother, identified by the Sheriff’s Department as 30-year-old Ida Brockman, and her mother’s boyfriend, identified as 29-year-old Malachi Whalen, in their personal vehicle.
The girl had sustained multiple injuries that were not consistent with statements made by the mother and her boyfriend, according to the news release.
Brockman and Whalen were arrested after investigators discovered a crime scene at an apartment in the 3000 block of El Segundo Boulevard, where Brockman and Whalen lived with the victim.
No details about what evidence was found at the scene were released.
Whalen was charged with one count of murder, one count of torture and one count of child abuse resulting in death.
Brockman was charged with one count of murder and one count of child abuse resulting in death.
Whalen and Brockman are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.
They are being held on $2.6 million bail.
Anyone with further information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.