An Ohio woman has been sentenced to at least nine years in prison after her 4-year-old daughter died of severe malnutrition, her teeth rotting from a diet of mostly Mountain Dew.
Tamara Banks, 41, of Clermont County was sentenced Friday, May 24, after pleading guilty in March to involuntary manslaughter, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Prosecutors said the child died in January 2022 after being neglected and abused by her parents and that she suffered diabetes-related complications after being fed Mountain Dew through a baby bottle, local affiliate FOX 19 reported. The girl had rotted teeth and there are almost none left, the media added.
The Cincinnati Enquirer also reported that Banks would sometimes mix baby formula with soda and bottle-feed her daughter long after she should have weaned it. Prosecutors also said investigators could find no evidence the girl had ever been to the dentist.
“This is one of the most tragic cases I’ve ever come across,” said Clermont County Assistant District Attorney Clay Tharp The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Christopher Hoeb, the girl’s father, has also been charged with her death, and his verdict should be handed down on June 11, the media added. Banks and Hoeb are charged with murder, manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment, Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve told FOX 19.
A judge previously dismissed the murder and child endangerment charges, FOX 19 reported.
Prosecutors also added that the girl suffered from diabetes “that went undiagnosed and untreated for a long period of time,” according to WCPO. The cause of her death was diabetic ketoacidosis, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when ketones build up in the bloodstream.
The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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WCPO reported that on January 21, 2022, Hoeb and Banks found their daughter unresponsive and called 911. She was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she was eventually pronounced brain dead and later taken off life support. She died four days later, per The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Tharp argued that the girl’s death could have been prevented if her parents had treated her for diabetes, saying The Cincinnati Enquirer: “This child did not have to die.”
Prosecutors also said Banks has older children who suffered similar incidents under her care, including a son who fell into a coma at age 4 due to undiagnosed diabetes, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The media added that prosecutors said Banks’ son was neglected even after he woke up from a coma, as he missed doctor’s appointments.
Stock image of police tape.
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Banks previously told the judge she thought she was taking care of her daughter the best she could, telling the court, “I thought I was taking care of her,” according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Exit too reported that under Ohio state law, Banks could serve as much as 13 1/2 years if the Department of Corrections decides to extend her sentence based on her behavior while in prison.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education