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Man And Woman Arrested In Death Of 2-Year-Old Girl In Arlington, Police Say

Shamonica Page faces a charge of injury to a child, a first-degree felony, and Derick Roberson faces a charge of injury to a child by omission, a third-degree felony.

TEXAS -- Two people have been arrested in the death of a two-year-old girl in Arlington early Saturday morning, police said.

Shamonica Page faces a charge of injury to a child, a first-degree felony, and Derick Roberson faces a charge of injury to a child by omission, a third-degree felony.

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Page and Roberson were initially taken into custody on outstanding misdemeanor warrants early Saturday, when police were called about 1:30 a.m. to an apartment in the 800 block of Timberlake Drive on a report of a child not breathing.

Officers arrived and the toddler, Aniyah Darnell, was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Lt. Christopher Cook says arriving officers could see injuries on the child that were not normal for a toddler.

Related: Murder Charge Dropped Against Triad Dad in Death of His Daughter

"It didn't look right," Cook said. "The stories being given at the scene were not really matching up.”

In a probable cause affidavit, Page admitted to striking the girl repeatedly with a belt on numerous occasions as "as a form of discipline/punishment". Page told detectives she was "frustrated with the victim going to the bathroom in her clothes/pullups and was trying to teach the victim a 'lesson'", according to the affidavit.

A search warrant return also revealed Page told detectives she was the only person who punish Darnell with a belt or her hand. She also said little Aniyah received a bad burn on her buttocks but never took the girl for medical help, instead trying "home remedies". She then admitted, despite the injury, she would continue to striking the little girl in the injured area with a belt or her hand.

Darnell's cause of death hasn't been determined yet, but "preliminary information suggests" it wasn't due to natural circumstances, according to a police news release. Detectives found probable cause that Darnell's injuries were caused by someone else, police said.

Page and Roberson are not believed to be related to Darnell. Police believe Darnell's mother recently gave her to the couple because she was unable to care for her.

Two other children were at the apartment when police arrived. It was unclear Saturday the relationship between Darnell and the other children.

The other children at the home were released to Child Protective Services, police said.

Page and Roberson are in the Arlington City Jail and are expected to appear before a magistrate judge on Sunday before being transferred to the Tarrant County Jail.

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