Woman sics dog on boyfriend’s 9-year-old daughter, beats her to death, Florida cops say

UPDATE: Lojuan Sessions, the father of 9-year-old Jamaria Sessions, was arrested on an aggravated manslaughter charge in connection with his daughter’s death, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said.

The original story is below.

Videos reviewed by detectives show a woman encouraging her dog to attack her boyfriend’s daughter and beating her until the 9-year-old died, Florida authorities said.

Tyshael Martin, 34, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and child neglect, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said Aug. 29 in a news release.

She doesn’t have an attorney listed in Lake County records.

The charges come one day after detectives said they received a 26-page autopsy report that determined Jamaria Sessions died from complications of multiple blunt injuries, and the manner of death was homicide, according to a probable cause affidavit.

In the early hours of June 17, Martin called 911 and reported that she woke up to find the girl was cold to the touch and unresponsive, deputies said. She was pronounced dead at the home.

Her father arrived at the residence and said he hadn’t been staying there recently because he and Martin were fighting, according to investigators.

Martin had told him that his daughter was in California with Martin’s mother, and he seemed to be in “disbelief” to learn his daughter had actually been in Florida in the week leading up to her death, deputies said.

Martin was the primary caretaker when the girl’s father wasn’t there, investigators said.

Home security footage obtained by investigatorsshows what happened prior to Sessions’ death.

Deputies said on June 15, video shows the child “being viciously attacked” by the family’s pet dog as Martin is seen holding the leash and “encouraging the dog to bite.”

In following clips, according to detectives, Martin kicks the child until she falls down, then continues to kick her “at full force” before dragging her across the floor, demanding that she stand up, investigators said.

In the next clip, Martin says something that sounds like “I’m fixin’ to kill her,” deputies said.

The initial autopsy didn’t reveal the immediate cause of death, but the girl had visible injuries, detectives said.

Martin explained some of them by saying the child had fallen while she was on a treadmill, according to investigators.

The woman was arrested Aug. 28, the sheriff’s office said.

Lake County is part of the Orlando metropolitan area.

This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Woman sics dog on boyfriend’s 9-year-old daughter, beats her to death, Florida cops say."