NORFOLK, Va. — The Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Norfolk has determined that a two-year-old girl was murdered after she was found unresponsive in the care of a daycare provider last year.
On August 18, 2020, police were sent to the 1300 block of Jennifer Street after learning about a child who was unresponsive at a home on that block.
First responders found a two-year-old girl inside the home and rushed her to the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters. She died at the hospital.
A month after that incident, detectives arrested the girl's daycare provider -- 37-year-old Jessica A. Cherry.
Cherry initially faced charges that weren't connected to the child's death, but were related to "criminal activity" at the home on Jennifer Street.
Those charges were:
- Felony Attempted Malicious Wounding
- Felony Abuse and Neglect of a Child (2 counts)
- Child Endangerment (2 counts)
On Tuesday, police charged her with second-degree murder in the girl's death after the medical examiner ruled her death as a homicide.
Authorities haven't released details about how the child died yet. Cherry is being held at the Norfolk City Jail without bond.