Many members of a Southwest Houston community say the story a mother gave about her child’s disappearance does not make sense, ABC 13 reports.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, a jogger found the body of a child floating in Brays Bayou, off of the 5200 block of Carrolton Street in SW Houston on Sunday, and police say they believe it is that of missing 2-year-old Maliyah “Tootie” Bass.
Maliyah was last seen playing in the playground of the Sunset Crossing apartments in southwest Houston on Saturday.
The toddler’s mother, Sahara Ervin, told Fox 7 that she had been watching from a nearby window as Maliyah played at the apartment complex playground. Ervin said she turned away momentarily and when she looked back, her daughter was gone.
“This is really devastating to me. Who could be watching my baby to even snatch her from the park?”
Tensions were high at the apartments in southwest Houston where 2-year-old Maliyah Bass' mother and her boyfriend say the toddler was last seen. Neighbors want justice for the child. Maliyah's mother and her boyfriend are in the black truck in the video. https://t.co/l1ckdrsWJZ pic.twitter.com/yRybTqSWeA
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) August 24, 2020
Ervin contacted authorities immediately and an AMBER Alert followed. The following day, a tiny body was found floating in water, around 18 miles away from the playground Maliyah was taken from.
On Monday, Ervin, who sought out the help of community activist Quannel X, was met by a mob of angry community members who screamed and shouted at her. Some tried to charge at her. Quannel X’s team escorted Ervin and her boyfriend into the apartment before anyone got hurt.
Quannel X ultimately chose not to represent Ervin but said he would continue to help find the truth.
“Who kidnapped the child? Was she ever kidnapped? We don’t know yet but it doesn’t pass the smell test,” he said, according to Click 2 Houston.
“No responsible parent would leave their child on the playground like that for 5 minutes knowing it’s a high crime area and shut the door behind them.”
Myocya Barnes, a neighbor who helped search for Maliyah on Saturday, called Ervin and her boyfriend “emotionless.”
“That hurts me so bad because I feel like they were emotionless,” Barnes said. “They were emotionless while people out here and in this neighborhood are crying tears for to you — blood sweat and tears for you in the rain.”
So far there have been no leads or suspects publicly announced. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said, however, that he was “highly confident” that foul play occurred.
“If you live or have a business by the bayou, roll back for the last 24 hours and take an extensive look at any camera you might have,” Acevedo said. “If you saw anything suspicious in the last 24 hours, just anything that’s happened along this bayou, just call us right away.”
Anyone with additional information on the case should contact police at 713-222-TIPS.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Maliyah Bass/Facebook]
