Philadelphia DHS worker arrested, charged in connection to toddler’s death

A child welfare caseworker turned herself in to Philadelphia police to face charges in connection with the death of a 3-year-old girl from July.

On Monday, Jendayi Mawusi, 25, surrendered to police and was charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child with her involvement in the death of Hope Jones. 

Mawusi was the contracted social worker in charge of monitoring the welfare of the child while under the supervision of Jones’ foster parent, Kiana Casey.

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“Mawusi’s final visit to Casey’s home as a Case Manager was on July 12, 2022 – shortly before emergency responders were called to the home and tried heroically to save 3-year-old Hope Jones’s life.” the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday. “As a Case Manager, Mawusi was a state-mandated reporter, meaning she was legally obligated to make a report if she had reasonable cause to suspect that Jones was a victim of child abuse. We allege that Mawusi repeatedly failed to investigate and intervene during what should have been obvious signs of physical harm inflicted on Hope Jones during her tragically short life.”

On July 23, Philadelphia Police were called to Casey’s home. Authorities found 3-year-old Jones unconscious. 

Police rushed her to a local hospital, but she was pronounced dead a short time later.

A Philadelphia Medical Examiner later determined that the cause of Jones’s death was blunt force trauma.

An autopsy found that Jones had numerous contusions and hemorrhages across her body, particularly on her arms and legs.

The medical examiner’s report concluded that the injuries were in various stages of healing at the time of her death, indicating that she had been severely abused and assaulted on multiple occasions.

In July, Casey, was charged third-degree murder, aggravated assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.