Camden woman charged in the beating death of her 5-year-old child
Marlena Cook and her boyfriend, Saeed Bey, were both charged with first-degree murder.
A 29-year-old Camden woman and her boyfriend have been charged with first-degree murder and related offenses for the beating death of her 5-year-old child this week, authorities said Thursday.
Marlena Cook and Saeed Bey, 27, also of Camden, were being held at the Camden County Correctional Facility awaiting a detention hearing, acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said in a news release.
On Tuesday around 3:50 p.m., police were called to the 2500 block of South Eighth Street for a report of an unresponsive child. The child was taken to an area hospital and doctors there observed that the child was suffering from multiple injuries, the statement said. The child died there later that night.
The Camden County Medical Examiner ruled that the death was a homicide caused by blunt force head trauma.
Cook also was charged with one count of second-degree aggravated assault, three counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and one count of third-degree hindering apprehension. Bey also was charged with two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.