Overbrook mother charged in death of 4-year-old
Dominique Bailey had allegedly told relatives that her child had been struck and killed by a motorist, but police found no evidence of such an incident.
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A weeklong police investigation into a child’s disappearance, spurred by a tip from a news outlet, has led to a 28-year-old woman being charged with the murder of her 4-year-old son.
The case first appeared on the radar of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Special Victims Unit on Dec. 30, when police received information about a child who had gone missing in West Philly, Officer Tanya Little, a department spokesperson, said Saturday. 6ABC, in a report on its website, wrote that the news station had shared the tip with police.
Relatives of the child’s mother, Dominique Bailey, told investigators that Bailey had allegedly claimed that the boy, Damari Carter, had been struck and killed by a car, Little said.
Detectives, however, found no trace of such an occurrence.
On Jan. 4, Bailey was questioned by investigators at the Special Victims Unit’s headquarters, on East Hunting Park Avenue in North Philly. Police later searched a property on Reno Street near 38th in West Philly, and brought in a man, Kevin Spencer, for questioning.
Bailey, of Lebanon Avenue near 67th Street in Overbrook, gave a statement on Jan. 5 about having been involved with Carter’s death, Little said.
The boy’s body has not yet been found.
The District Attorney’s Office charged Bailey with murder, abuse of a corpse, making false reports, and endangering the welfare of a child. It’s unclear whether Bailey has obtained a lawyer yet.
Late Saturday, Spencer, 30, was also charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, and related offenses.
Jane Roh, a spokesperson for the DA’s Office, said additional charges could be filed against Bailey and others as the investigation continues.