Family of Dead 7-Year-Old Girl in the Bronx Has History of Abuse: Report

The family of a 7-year-old Bronx girl who died shortly after cops responding to a 911 call found her unconscious on Tuesday has a history of abuse, according to a report by the New York Times.

The NYPD confirmed the report that said Julissa Battles’ 17-year-old half-brother admitted to investigators on Wednesday that he beat Julissa because he thought she took some snacks. The brother, who was not identified, has been taken to a facility run by the Administration for Children’s Services, police said.

Authorities were called Julissa’s apartment building on Alexander Avenue shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday. They tried to revive her but she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

A law enforcement source tells News 4 authorities found bruising on Julissa’s body. The Times reported that Julissa’s mother, Navasia Jones, told cops that her daughter had fallen and hit her head on a desk. She said the girl began to vomit hours later.

The medical examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine how Julissa died. For now, the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.

According to the Times, Julissa’s grandmother, Yolanda Davis, said the girl lived with her most of her life since Jones lost custody of her. Jones has also previously lost custody of her four older children.