3-year-old girl beaten to death by 12-year-old and 10-year-old while parents were out gambling, Louisiana police say

Four people were charged in the murder of a 3-year-old toddler who was beaten to death by two young teenagers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Police said they responded to a call from a child about an unresponsive toddler on Feb. 12 at about 3:45 p.m. at a home on O'Neal Lane. When they arrived, they found no adults in the home and eight children.

The toddler named Blessing Buckles was transported to a hospital where they reported that she was suffering from injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, including a brain bleed, bruises, and abrasions to the face and body.

She died from her injuries two days later on Wednesday.

While police were at the home, two adults arrived and said they had been at the casino for several hours and left the children unattended. 26-year-old Dineshia Yates was the mother of the toddler while 26-year-old Terica Scott was the mother and aunt of the child suspects.

Arrest records said that Yates had lived with Scott for several weeks and they had often left their children unattended. The eight children ranged in ages from 11 months to 12 years old.

Police identified two of the children, a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy, as suspects in Buckles' death, and they were booked into the EBR Juvenile Detention Center for simple battery and second-degree murder.

Both Yates and Scott allegedly told police that they had knowledge about violent behavior from one of the underage suspects. After an investigation, both were arrested and Scott was charged with principal to second-degree murder and principal to battery, while Yates was charged with principal to second-degree murder and principal to simple battery.

WBRZ-TV reported that Yates had been arrested numerous times on charges, including drug possession and theft. Scott had also been arrested for second-degree murder in 2021, but a grand jury opted against formally charging her.

Yates and Scott had a bond set at $20,000 each.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

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