Dearborn parents charged with strangling, beating infant
Amy Taulbee and Murtadha Almeamaar were arraigned Oct. 3 in 19th District Court for first-degree child abuse in the strangling and beating of their daughter, who is 52 days old.
Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said the baby not only had signs of strangulation and beating, but had broken ribs when she was evaluated.
“We discovered a 1-month-old baby with signs of abuse from head to toe,” he said.
Almeamaar was charged as a habitual offender.
Taulbee was given a $100,000 cash bond with a GPS tether if posted; Almeamaar was given a $250,000 cash bond with GPS tether if posted.
The child is in critical but stable condition at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Officials there said the child is expected to make a recovery.
During the hearing, Taulbee pleaded with Judge Sam Salamey to “not do this to me,” as he set a higher bond than initially expected.
“I have postpartum depression,” she said via video from the Dearborn jail.
She had been quiet during the hearing until her bond was set. When she wouldn’t calm down, she was escorted out of the video room.
Almeamaar remained quiet and calm throughout his arraignment and bond hearing.
The case was brought to law enforcement’s attention when the baby was brought to a doctor’s office with visible injuries, officials said.
“This is a terrible crime that has impacted everybody involved, from the first responders on scene to the investigators who built the case, to the medical professionals who continue to provide care for this poor child,” Shahin said. “It’s unfathomable to think that a parent could allegedly cause harm to their own child, so I appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”
Dearborn police and fire were called to the doctor’s office to investigate.
The baby was then taken to Children’s Hospital of Michigan where the abuse was confirmed.
As a result of an investigation into the injuries, both parents were arrested.
Shahin said they were both assisting officers in the investigation to a point, but that their answers weren’t adding up to how they claimed the baby was injured.
Both of their preliminary exams are set for Oct. 21 in Dearborn’s 19th District Court.
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