SEATTLE — A mother and her boyfriend were charged Wednesday for the death of the woman's 4-year-old son in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.
Cynthia Rose Enyeart, 23, and 20-year-old Junior Prince Desta Asghedom were charged with second-degree murder.
On the night of Dec. 11, a 911 call was made for an unconscious child. When first responders arrived, they found the child dead.
According to charging documents, Enyeart said the child had slipped "recently" while getting out of the bath, hitting his head. Paramedics told Seattle police the child's injuries were inconsistent with what Enyeart said.
Enyeart and Asghedom were the only people on scene. The two were taken to a police station and interviewed.
Before being interviewed, Enyeart was seen using her cellphone. Police later learned she was posting messages to Facebook, which included a response to someone telling her not to say anything, according to charging documents. Those responses included, "And I ain't no snitch" and "imma jus cay [sic] he fell at my house," and "But he recently did."
While being interviewed, Enyeart was inconsistent throughout and changed the story "several times," according to charging documents.
Enyeart said the child hit his head getting out of the bath and again in the bedroom, hitting his face on the corner of the bedframe.
When shown photos of bruising on the child's face, Enyeart said he fell while they were staying at a motel in Lakewood several weeks ago.
She then said Asghedom struck the child several times in Lakewood.
Enyeart maintained the bruising to the child's face was done more than two weeks before the 911 call.
Ultimately, Enyeart said Asghedom held the child "over his head to help him with his fear of heights," according to charging documents. She said while the child was in the air, he shook the child. The child pulled Asghedom's hair, angering him, and he threw the child, causing the head injury, Enyeart said.
Police noted there have been four or five CPS child welfare checks regarding Enyeart.
Asghedom initially told police the child tripped getting out of the bathtub. After being shown photos of the child, he said physical abuse occurred before. This time, Enyeart became upset with the child and struck the child's head against the front of sink twice, "knocking him out cold," according to charging documents.
An autopsy of the child indicated massive blunt force trauma to his head. Bruising was also found all over the child's body.
An acquaintance of Enyeart told police she had observed significant bruising to the child's face and head on several occasions, according to charging documents. She told police she saw Enyeart strike her son on several occasions.
In the hours before the child's death, when the acquaintance asked Enyeart if the boy would be able to attend a family gathering, she responded, "Idk bc his eyes isn't open still," according to charging documents.
Enyeart and Asghedom are being held on $500,000 bail.