A newly released arrest warrant accusing a Jacksonville mother and her boyfriend of child neglect has revealed more details about what led to the death of 22-month-old Zamora Foe.
Zayla Goodwin, 20, of Jacksonville, and her boyfriend, Nathaniel Davis, 22, also of Jacksonville both remain in the Duval County Jail on $500,000 bonds.
According to the warrant obtained by News4JAX, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department paramedics were called to a home where the toddler had gone into cardiac arrest and was unresponsive.
Paramedics rushed the child to Wolfson Children’s Hospital where she was listed in critical condition.
What doctors told police was redacted from the warrant except for a line that states that doctors did not think Zamora would survive her injuries.
Goodwin and Davis were detained at their home for questioning as assault and homicide detectives were called in to investigate.
The warrant states that a search of the home was conducted and that the search led to the discovery of multiple bloody bandages, bloody blankets next to Zamora’s bed, and bloody diapers in the trash. A second search led to the discovery of multiple cellphones, meth, and drug paraphernalia.
A woman whose name was redacted from the warrant told detectives that Goodwin, Davis, and Zamora moved into her home five days before Zamora was rushed to the hospital. According to the warrant, the woman told detectives she began seeing bruises on Zamora and noticed Zamora was no longer walking and asked Goodwin what happened to the toddler.
The warrant states that Goodwin told the woman that Zamora was injured after falling in a bathtub while Davis was bathing the child at their previous home in Hillard.
The woman told police that right before paramedics were called to her home, she was awakened by a loud commotion in her living room and when she got up to see what the commotion was about, she walked in on Davis performing CPR on Zamora’s unresponsive body.
According to the warrant, the police spoke with Goodwin. She told them her child was injured from falling in a bathtub at their old home and had difficulty walking afterward.
She also said she noticed one day that Zamora’s lips were red and swollen and she struggled to eat but believed it was from an allergic reaction. Goodwin also told detectives that she never noticed any other bruising or blood in the child’s diapers.
Goodwin and Davis were both arrested on child neglect charges after it was determined the couple neglected to seek medical attention for Zamora despite obvious and observable injuries to her body that included various fractures to her legs.
The warrant also revealed that detectives believe the 22-month-old toddler was sexually abused. Details of the suspected sexual abuse were redacted from the warrant.
News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney, who retired as Director of Investigations for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, read over the warrant.
“The number of injuries and the level of abuse to cause those injuries tear your heart in two,” Hackney said.
On Wednesday, News4JAX spoke with Zamora’s biological father, Brandon Foe. He confirmed his daughter passed away hours earlier in the hospital after she was taken off life support and her organs were harvested for donation.
“The first thought that went through my head when they told me she was not going to make it was no man should outlive his daughter,” Foe said.
He also said police told him that his daughter was sexually abused and had suffered injuries throughout her body.
“I broke down the first time I heard about it. I broke down heavily. I didn’t know how to function anymore. I didn’t know how to move anymore,” Foe said.
Hackney was asked if a child falling in a tub could cause the level of injuries Zamora suffered.
“You could have broken bones from that but when you see that level of injury, you typically see something that has been a prolonged pattern of abuse, beatings, and yanking. Little bodies are not designed for that,” Hackney said.
Hackney believes Zamora’s mother and her boyfriend will face additional charges now that Zamora has passed away.
“When the autopsy is performed on that child, they are going to be able to tell old injuries from new injuries and prove or disprove what story was told,” Hackney said.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Zamora’s funeral.
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Source: news4jax
