Two young cousins, aged 10 and 12, are facing murder charges for allegedly causing the death of a 3-year-old girl, Blessing Buckles, through severe physical abuse. The incident occurred while the children were left unsupervised as their parents and guardians went to a casino. The identities of the boys have not been disclosed due to their age. Another child, a 4-year-old girl, was also discovered to have been severely beaten, as reported by local news.
On February 12, a child dialed 911 to report that Blessing was unresponsive and there were no adults present. The exact location was unknown to the young caller, prompting deputies to knock on doors in Baton Rouge to locate the scene. Upon arrival, Blessing’s mother, Dineshia Yates, and the mother of the 10-year-old boy, Terica Scott, who is also the aunt of the 12-year-old suspect, admitted to leaving the children alone to visit a casino.
Court documents reveal that the women, both 26, left eight children unsupervised, including an 11-month-old baby. They are now facing charges of principal to second-degree murder. The oldest child left in charge was the 12-year-old suspect, who reportedly had a history of violent behavior towards younger children.
Yates confessed to the police that she and her children had been living with Scott for two weeks prior to the fatal incident. Scott admitted to being aware of her nephew’s violent tendencies, and Yates acknowledged seeing bruises on one of her other daughters after she was left alone with the boy. However, she disregarded her children’s pleas for help.
Blessing was found unresponsive with a brain bleed, bruises, and cuts on her face and body, likely from blunt force trauma. She succumbed to her injuries on Valentine’s Day. East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux expressed his heartbreak over the tragic incident, extending his prayers to those involved.
The two boys have been charged with battery and second-degree murder and are currently held at the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center. Scott and Yates were also arrested on charges of principal to simple battery and principal to second-degree murder. Both women have prior criminal records.
Yates has a history of theft, including stealing clothes from Walmart and an iPad, two guns, and business checks from a residence. She is also wanted on two active warrants from undisclosed cases in Baker, Louisiana. Scott, on the other hand, allegedly set a car on fire near a residence and was charged with murder in 2021 for allegedly shooting a woman, but was never indicted.
As of Monday afternoon, both women remain in the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail under a $40,000 bond each.