Mother and brother of Julissia Batties, girl beaten to death in Bronx, arrested

The mother and stepbrother of Julissia Batties, the 7-year-old girl who died last year from trauma to her face and body, were arrested on Wednesday on murder charges in connection with the horrific case.

Julissia was admitted to Lincoln Hospital on August 10, 2021, after officers responded to an emergency call at her apartment on Alexander Avenue. The child was pronounced dead an hour later.

Two days after her death, the Medical Examiner's Office ruled her case a homicide, stating that she died from blunt abdominal trauma after being struck with an object.

The arrests of Navasia Jones, 36, and Paul Fine, 18, come after a Grand Jury indictment was unsealed last week.

The defendants face charges of murder with depraved indifference, meaning they allegedly acted without regard for the girl's life even if they did not intend to kill her, another charge of acting in a manner detrimental to a minor, and involuntary manslaughter. Fine was also charged with sexual abuse and sexual battery.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark stated in his report that Julissia was beaten and sexually abused:

"A woman and her teenage son caused the death of her innocent and defenseless seven-year-old daughter, Julissia, in their Bronx home. The girl was beaten and sexually abused and denied medical attention. This is a sickening and disturbing case of brutality and callousness. A 10-month investigation with the NYPD led to the murder charges. The investigation revealed that Julissia failed throughout her brief life. The signs of her torment were there, but were not acted upon. We send our condolences to Julissia's father and grandmother, who remain devastated by the loss of this beautiful girl."

There was already a history of abuse in the Batties home, a police source said after the girl's death, The New York Times reported at the time. Fine, who was 17 at the time, confessed to investigators that he hit his sister several times because he thought she had stolen his snacks.

The prosecution claims that there were additional injuries on the minor's body, such as bruises, marks, and scratches, including on both wrists, the collarbone, upper thigh, and mouth.

Relatives and neighbors confirmed that the little girl was the target of alleged constant physical abuse.