Police said that a 9-year-old girl died in her Brooklyn home Sunday afternoon. She had bite marks and cut her head.
The police identified the girl as Shalom Guifarro, who lived at Lincoln Place in Crown Heights.
Shamaine Cato (48), is her mother. According to a police official, Ms. Cato has a history of domestic problems but none that involved Shalom.
Neighbors described Ms. Cato’s mother as overprotective and troubled. They claimed that she verbally abused her daughter, as well as two dogs, a pitbull and a smaller one, throughout the neighborhood.
“She was crazy” said Rey Santiago, 28, a neighbor who had seen the mother scream at and shove her daughter in a laundromat.
The New York Police Department stated that Ms. Cato had called 911 in distress to report that her daughter was not well.
Bart Hubbuch, who owns the restaurant Memphis Seoul, which is on the ground floor of the low-rise brick building where Ms. Cato lives, said that when he arrived early Sunday afternoon his employees reported a stench that they had assumed was a broken toilet upstairs.
They watched as the building superintendent emerged from the building looking dejected, just minutes after he had responded to their call.
Numerous emergency personnel arrived moments later, just after 1 p.m., and Shalom was pronounced dead at the scene. Also home at the time with Shalom and her mother was Ms. Cato’s other daughter, who is 13.
“They said it was a horrific crime scene,” Mr. Hubbuch said, adding that he watched police officers who appeared to be wiping away tears.
“This is so sad — that was a beautiful little girl,” said Flora Wilson, 51, a neighborhood crossing guard who was friendly with Ms. Cato and her family.
Barry Todman (51), a neighbor, stated that she worked on Atlantic Avenue with city residents to sign up for welfare benefits. She wore sweatshirts that featured the green, yellow, and black Jamaican flag.
“I don’t know what the hell happened,” said Mr. Todman, who added that when he went to Ms. Cato for assistance in the summer of 2020, she had seemed kind and professional.
Others, including Mr. Hubbuch, said that Ms. Cato was known for shouting at her daughters. He said that he wouldn’t see the girls outside with their friends or playing together.
“She was always screaming at her kids so loud it would startle you,” he said, adding that he never saw her be physically abusive. “It was like, Why are you screaming at your kids like that?”
The woman’s boyfriend worked during the pandemic as a delivery driver, Mr. Hubbuch said, but had not been around for several months. He added that police officers talked to the boyfriend when he arrived at the scene on Sunday afternoon and that he walked away in distress.
Ms. Cato was frequent visitor to his pantry. He described her as being brusque, strict with her children and animals, and as stern. “But I never expected anything like this,” said the man, who gave only his given name, Rob.
Three detectives could be seen entering and exiting Ms. Cato’s building late Sunday night. The police cruiser remained at the front.
Ashley SouthallContributed reporting
Source: NY Times