HOUSTON – The mother of Travion Thompson, the man charged in connection of 2-year-old Maliyah Bass’ death, said both her son and his girlfriend, Sahara Ervin, belong behind bars for their involvement. The couple is accused of killing and then dumping the child’s body in a storm drain in Houston.
“I’m mad because I want to hurt both of them because I feel violated,” said Thompson’s mother Angel Harris. “I feel sad. I feel betrayed.”
While Harris is the not biologically related to Maliyah she said she loved the little girl as though she was her granddaughter. She said she truly believed that someone abducted Bass from their apartment’s playground in southwest Houston, as the couple claimed when they originally reported the child was missing.
“A part of me wanted to believe that somebody had took my baby off that playground,” Harris said. “Now, I’m finding out that all along it was a story, a act.”
Victim advocate Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers of Houston recalled the couple’s peculiar behavior last August when Bass’ body was found in Brays Bayou.
“I remember mom was asking me about any victim compensation. I just thought that was a little bit odd,” he said. “That’s the last thing you’re concerned about is anything you’re entitled to.”
Kahan said that sparked him to start pulling up Thompson’s record.
“When you look at his criminal history, he’s had five convictions since 2017,” he said.
Court records show Thompson was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon while on probation, but the court failed to revoke his probation.
“This should have never, ever happened,” Kahan said. “Her death was a tragedy but so utterly preventable because the system failed her miserably.”
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirm there were no prior abuses documented and linked to Ervin.
Ervin and Thompson are in jail and will both go before a judge Thursday.