Jah’niyah White | Homicide Watch Chicago

Comment of the Day: "My heart goes out to the parents and family"

Michael Lansu — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:41:34 -0600

Jah’niyah White was killed when she was mauled by a dog last Saturday at her grandfather's South Side home. An autopsy determined she died of child abuse and the death was ruled a homicide. A guest posted this about Jah'niyah:

My heart goes out to the parents and family. God must have needed a X-Mas Angel

WEEK IN REVIEW: 5 shot to death, girl mauled by dog died of child abuse

Michael Lansu — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 09:05:49 -0600

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

Five people were shot to death throughout the city last week, and a 2-year-old girl was killed by a dog in a death ruled a homicide by child abuse.

Chicago also went four days without a murder last week, the longest period without a murder since Nov. 7 through Nov. 10.

The most recent shooting happened when Demarco Lyons, 22, was shot to death on a sidewalk in the 300 block of West 60th Place about 2:45 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.

An unidentified gunman approached Lyons and shot him once in the chest, authorities said. The shooter fled in a gray four-door vehicle, police said.

Lyons, of the 6000 block of South Princeton Avenue, was dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police said Lyons was a parolee with gang affiliations.

In the Austin neighborhood, 26-year-old Rafael Robinson was shot in his chest and side in the 5600 block of West Bloomingdale Avenue about 1:35 a.m., authorities said.

Robinson, of the 1300 block of South Tripp Avenue, was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead at 2:07 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

On Tuesday, officers responding to a call of shots fired found Mason Smith lying on a sidewalk near his home in the 11600 block of South Bishop Street about 9:25 p.m., authorities said.

Smith, 22, was shot in the head and declared dead at the scene, authorities said.

On Monday, Jeremy Bafunsho was in the driver’s seat of a car in the 11300 block of South Edbrooke Avenue when he got into an altercation with a passenger about 5:15 p.m., authorities said.

The passenger shot Bafunsho, 19, in the abdomen area, authorities said. The gunman exited the vehicle, fired another shot at Bafunsho and fled.

Bafunsho was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he later died.

The killings started when Mensa Kifle was shot dead in a Monday morning shooting in the Edgewater neighborhood that left another man seriously wounded.

Kifle was shot about 10:35 a.m. Monday in the 1100 block of West Glenlake Avenue, authorities said.

Kifle, of the 6000 block of North Albany Avenue, was shot in the shoulder and right hip and pronounced dead at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston at 11:27 a.m Monday., authorities said.

A 24-year-old man was also wounded and taken in serious condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center after being shot in both legs, police said.

Additionally, 2-year-old Jah'niyah White died Saturday after she was left unattended by her grandfather at his South Side home and was mauled to death during a dog attack, an autopsy determined.

The girl died at Jackson Park Hospital Saturday afternoon after suffering a head injury at her maternal grandfather’s home in the 3300 block of the East 91st Street, authorities said.

An autopsy conducted Sunday found the girl had been neglected and died as a result of injuries suffered during the dog attack, an official at the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Her death was ruled a homicide.

No charges have been filed as of Monday morning.

Autopsy: Dogs mauled 2-year-old girl, death ruled homicide

Michael Lansu — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 18:27:29 -0600

Jah'niyah White / Family Photo

BY BRIAN SLODYSKO AND BECKY SCHLIKERMAN
Chicago Sun-Times

A 2-year-old girl who died this weekend after she was left unattended by her grandfather at his South Side home was mauled to death during a dog attack, an autopsy determined.

The girl, identified by relatives as Jah’niyah White, died at Jackson Park Hospital Saturday afternoon after suffering a head injury at her maternal grandfather’s home in the 3300 block of the East 91st Street, authorities said.

State child welfare officials are conducting their own investigation of the grandfather over allegations of abuse. A spokeswoman said the agency has had no prior contacts with the family. The grandfather has not been charged with a crime.

The girl’s father, John White, 21, said Jah’niyah didn’t live at the 91st Street address but was there while her mother was at work.

He said he was told the girl fell.

Gathered outside the hospital with family and friends, White said his daughter was a smart little girl.

“She talked a lot,” he said. “She liked to play. She knew all the ABCs.”

Erin Lewis, a woman who identified herself as a close friend of the little girl’s paternal grandmother, said the two used to take care of the precocious 2-year-old. But that changed when the paternal grandmother started a new job and wasn’t able to do so any more.

“Everybody is just really in pieces right now,” Lewis said.

Lewis said the family had already started Christmas shopping for the little girl and her siblings.

“They may as well cancel Christmas,” she said.

Police said Sunday they are conducting a death investigation, but have not ruled the child’s death a homicide.