Mother Charged with Murder and Child Abuse After Infant Daughter Dies on New Year's Eve 

A baby girl in Maryland died on New Year’s Eve, and now her mother has been charged in connection to her death.

Detectives from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office learned about the 5 1/2-month-old on Sunday, Dec. 29, after responding to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in regards to a report from Child Protective Services of suspected child abuse, a press release from the department states.

After speaking with hospital staff, detectives allegedly learned that the infant had arrived at the hospital by ambulance with “multiple skull fractures, brain bleeds, a fractured leg, and numerous other life-threatening injuries.”

According to WBAL-TV, the baby girl had been in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) since birth and had just gone home on Monday, Dec. 23 before being taken back to the hospital on Saturday, Dec. 28. She died from her injuries on Tuesday, Dec. 31, per the press release.

The press release states that an investigation was launched into the incident that included a court-ordered search of the child’s home and “multiple interviews of potential witnesses and suspects” that resulted in “inconsistent accounts of how the infant victim sustained her injuries.”

The baby’s mother, Maya Dennis, 32, told police when asked about the injuries that “one of her children was running in the home and accidentally fell on the victim,” WJZ reported, citing charging documents.

When issuing a search warrant on Dennis’ two phones, authorities allegedly found text messages in which she claimed the injuries were from her stay in the NICU, per WJZ.

Detectives also questioned a man who was seen entering the family’s home for nearly an hour before the infant was taken to the hospital. Dennis and the man denied she had contact with the child when being interviewed by police.

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office stated that during the investigation, however, detectives developed information that indicated Dennis had “sole care and custody of the child when her injuries were inflicted,” per the press release.

“Dennis has been charged with 1st degree murder, 1st degree child abuse, after making statements indicating she was responsible for the now fatal injuries,” the press release states.

Dennis was arrested without incident and transported to the Harford County Detention Center, per the release. The release notes that the investigation is ongoing, and no further information is being released.

Online records reviewed by PEOPLE show that Dennis was denied bail while appearing remotely in court on Thursday, Jan 2.

Prosecutors argued during the hearing that the baby’s injuries were not accidental, per WBAL-TV. “Her left femur and tibia were broken. She had multiple skull fractures, bleeding on the brain and around her eye sockets. The baby had irreversible brain damage,” they said.

A preliminary hearing for Dennis has been scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30, per online records.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.