Three individuals are facing charges in Louisiana after allegedly bringing a 3-year-old child to the hospital deceased. The authorities report that Kewanna Monique Lard, 44, Dewanequa Monique Nykeria Lard, 23, and Szysznyk DeWayne Phillips, 48, have been charged with cruel treatment toward minors.
In addition to the cruelty charges, Kewanna and Dewanequa are also charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles and obstruction of justice.
The Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office stated that investigators were alerted on February 13 when the trio arrived at the Bienville Medical Center with the lifeless child. An autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death.
Authorities shared that this investigation expanded to look into potential physical abuse of the deceased child as well as a 14-year-old child living in the same home.
Kewanna, Dewanequa, and Phillips lived together with the two children in Lucky, Louisiana. Following their investigation, police gathered enough evidence to arrest the three. They are currently held in the Bienville Parish Jail, with bail set at $100,000 for each charge.
The investigation is still active, and authorities have indicated that more charges might be forthcoming.
The deceased child was identified as Rayshawn “Nico” Lard. Descriptions from his online memorial highlighted that he loved “PAW Patrol,” his family, and cookies. His funeral took place on February 28.
Sheriff John Ballance noted that, as of now, none of those arrested face homicide charges.
If you suspect child abuse, resources are available through the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453. All calls are confidential and can be made 24/7 in over 170 languages.
