STOWE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Javonne Swinton, the mother of 2-year-old Brielle Swinton, is the most recent person who has been charged in connection with her daughter’s death.
Allegheny County police responded to the family’s Stowe Township home back in December and Brielle was pronounced dead at Children’s Hospital.
According to Swinton’s criminal complaint, investigators say she refused to take Brielle or have her transported to Children’s Hospital after doctors were concerned about injuries to her body.
A doctor at Allegheny General Hospital said the little girl was a level three trauma patient, had multiple injuries, including bruises all over her body.
Investigators say medical staff were so concerned about Brielle’s injuries, they made a Child Line tip for suspected child abuse.
At that point, it’s unclear where Brielle’s case went. Weeks later, Kyrell Morgan, her mother’s boyfriend, was charged with essentially squeezing the little girl to death.
Channel 11 spoke with child advocate, Mary Carrasco, the director of A Child’s Place about the case.
When asked if she would expect county police to have done a full investigation into the Child Line tip, she said “yes.” She added, “the purpose of a Child Line tip is to catch things early so we don’t get to this state.”
Channel 11′s Gabriella DeLuca asked Allegheny County Police if detectives investigated the Child Line tip about Brielle before she was killed. Superintendent Chris Kearns responded in part by saying, “Child Line information is confidential, and we cannot comment or even confirm its existence.”
We also reached out to the county to ask about the process of a Child Line tip. A spokesperson says, case workers will “notify law enforcement if the report involved an alleged crime against a child.”
Whether or not county police conducted a thorough investigation into the Child Line tip in the weeks leading up to Brielle’s death, the system failed the two-year-old little girl, who is now dead.
Carrasco said it breaks her heart.
“It takes a toll. It definitely takes a toll. There are times for even someone like me, who has dealt with this kind of thing for 30 years, I find it emotionally exhausting,” Carrasco said.
Kyrell Morgan is in jail without bond and Javonne Swinton posted bond Thursday.
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