It’s hard finding someone you trust to care for your child when you can’t. When I need someone to watch my son, the first people I ask are family members and then close friends. There was only one sitter he had who was a total stranger. Even though he’s with people I trust, I’m still nervous that something will go wrong. That’s why I can’t imagine what one Ohio mom must have felt when she left her 3-month-old son in the care of a woman named Kamariea Marshall. While Marshall cared for the baby, he ended up with serious injuries that included scratches and bite marks. Now, she is facing charges while the baby heals.
The mom was in an emergency situation.
The boy’s mother, who has not been named, had to quickly move out of her home because of renovations, WTVG reported.
“I only have three days to pack my whole house up, so she had him for the three days that I was packing my house,” the mom explained.
She didn’t explain her relationship to Marshall or why she was the person she asked to watch her child for several days.
Several days after she began caring for the boy, Marshall sent the mom a text asking why he had bruises and scratches on his body, according to WTVG. As a result, Marshall took the boy to the hospital, and the mom met them there.
It must have been terrifying for the mom to not know what was going on with her son.
“When I walked in that room, they said that he wasn’t breathing. He had bruising on his chest, his ribs were fractured. He had a bitemark on his leg, he had scratches underneath both of his cheeks,” the mom said.
At the hospital, doctors suspected abuse because of the bruising and the fractured ribs, so they contacted authorities. The mom, however, said Marshall told hospital staff that she was worried the baby was sick.
“They said she dropped them off and all she said was she feels like he’s sick,” the mom said.
Thankfully, the boy’s mom said that he’s now recovering from his injuries. “He’s doing good. He’s healthy,” she shared, per WTVG.
Marshall already has a history with law enforcement.
Marshall was indicted on three counts of child endangerment in April. She turned herself in to Adult Probation on May 4. She was already on probation for prior convictions of theft and assault.
She appeared in court and had her bond set at $100,000. Her next arraignment is set for May 13.
The assault took place in November 2024, WTVG reported in January. Marshall allegedly attempted to steal items from a local business, and an employee confronted her. She reportedly punched the employee in the face.
Marshall was arrested on January 13, 2025, and charged with robbery inflict attempt to inflict or threaten serious physical harm on another, which is a second-degree felony.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
