ALVIN, Texas – A man and woman have been charged in the death of their 4-year-old daughter at a motel, the Alvin Police Department announced Thursday.
Drayon Donahue, 27, and De’Jane A Belle, 26, were arrested at their residence in Texas City Thursday on outstanding indictments for two counts of tampering with evidence with their bonds set at $100,000 each.
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On April 29, Alvin officers were called to a local emergency room for a child who was unresponsive. Officers said when they arrived, the child had been pronounced dead.
According to investigators, the girl was brought to the facility by her mother. Officers were initially told by the father that the child collapsed while playing with her siblings in the courtyard of the motel where they lived.
While investigating the cause of her death, officers and detectives said they noted multiple discrepancies that proved the parents took measures to alter evidence at the scene. Additionally, investigators said the girl had shown signs of long-term abuse.
During the investigation, the couple’s other three children were removed from their custody. The couple’s newborn child was removed by Children’s Protective Services at the time of their arrests.
The medical examiner’s office ruled the child’s death a homicide and the Brazoria County Grand Jury indicted the parents. Additional felony charges against Donahue and Belle are pending.