The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
The boyfriend of the mother of the 11-month-old girl reported missing last month, and who was arrested the day police found a baby dead in an Oceanfront parking garage, has been charged in connection with the girl's treatment.
Lawrence Ray Smith Jr., 33, was arraigned Wednesday in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, charged with transporting and concealing a dead body and child abuse and neglect, said Macie Pridgen, a spokeswoman for the Beach commonwealth's attorney's office.
Police are awaiting a medical examiner's report on the baby who was found and have not officially identified her, but after she was found, the search for Janyiha Whiteman - the missing baby - was called off.
Pridgen also said Janyiha was the alleged victim of Smith's abuse and neglect charge.
A bond hearing on Smith's new charges is set for today.
The suspicious-death investigation began after Smith disappeared with Janyiha last month. The baby's mother, Marie Whiteman, had entrusted Smith with the baby's care while she served a month in jail for a probation violation.
Officers found Smith, who led them to search the parking garage of the Country Inn & Suites at 1801 Atlantic Ave., where they found the body. Police initially arrested Smith on a charge of violating probation stemming from a 2009 petty larceny conviction.
Smith and Whiteman were convicted in August of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it.
Janyiha last was seen by family at the Colony Motel and Mobile Home Park on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
