The adoptive mother of an 11-year-old girl from Hawaii, who died in unclear circumstances, is facing charges related to the tragic incident.
Sina Pili, aged 39, is scheduled to appear in court this week after a grand jury charged her with manslaughter, endangerment of a minor, and persistent nonsupport of a child.
The girl, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah, passed away on December 22, 2023. Police found her unresponsive at home, covered in bruises, just hours before her death, as stated by Lieutenant Deena Thoemmes from the Honolulu Police Department.
Azaeliyah’s adoptive father claimed that the bruises were the result of a fall in the shower, as noted during a recent news conference.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office postponed the release of the official cause of death pending further tests after an initial autopsy. However, by June, a forensic pathologist determined that Azaeliyah’s death was due to “multiple injuries from child abuse,” and classified it as homicide.
In addition to the numerous bruises, the forensic examination revealed abrasions on various parts of Azaeliyah’s body, wounds on her nose resembling bite marks, and internal injuries possibly indicating strangulation. She was also found to be positive for COVID-19, influenza, and pneumonia.
On the day she died, it was reported that Pili allegedly forced Azaeliyah to run outside while she was sick, and during a 30-minute period, she reportedly slapped and punched the girl several times.
Azaeliyah’s four siblings, also adopted by Pili, have been placed in protective custody during the investigation, while Pili continued her job at Kahuku High and Intermediate School, where she worked as a behavioral health specialist and adviser to seniors.
As a result of the investigation, Pili has been put on administrative leave, according to a spokesperson from the Hawaii Department of Education.
Additionally, Pili was an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University–Hawaii but was let go after her arrest became known.
Pili is currently held without bail at the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua, and records show that she has not yet found a lawyer. Authorities are still looking into the actions of the girl’s adoptive father.
