An 18-year-old Iowa woman has been charged with child endangerment over the death of her two-year-old brother from a brain hemorrhage in May.
Denver Emery was booked into Polk County Jail on Monday evening and remained in custody Tuesday.
Her arrest came four days after her boyfriend, 37-year-old Nicholas Rivera, turned himself in to the police and was charged with child endangerment causing the death of Emery's baby brother, Calvin Trullinger.
Court records show Emery and Rivera took the little boy to Mercy Hospital on May 24. Doctors said Calvin's injuries, including bleeding on his brain, were consistent with 'abusive brain trauma' that wasn’t accidental.
They noted bruising on the toddler's back that may have been caused by fingers.
Police say Emery and Rivera were the boy’s sole caregivers in the two weeks leading up to his death, reported
Des Moines Register.
During that period, Emery and her mother - Calvin's biological mother - communicated by phone and text message.
Calvin's mother and Rivera told police the boy fell out of his crib a few days before he died: a claim that was corroborated by a May 20 home security recording that showed the boy climbing over the crib's railing and falling to the floor.
In the hours leading up to her arrest, Emery posted a rambling status update on Facebook, defending herself and her boyfriend against claims that they had something to do with her brother's death.
'I want everyone to know that nick and I would never ever hurt my baby brother it destroys me that people think diffrent [sic],' she wrote.
The 18-year-old insisted that Rivera was 'so amazing with Calvin' and accused the 'f***ing news' for maligning her boyfriend and herself.
'I hope u don't see what all these disgusting people keep saying about us only if you could tell them everything and how much fun we had,' she added.
Emery concluded her rant by saying how much she loves and misses her 'cuddle buddy.'
The woman's mother wrote in a comment Tuesday that she loves her 'sunshine' and promised her the 'best of the best lawyers have been hired' to get her and her boyfriend out of jail.