The boyfriend of a New Jersey mom has been arrested in connection to the death of her 4-year-old girl, according to prosecutors.
Authorities in Essex County say first responders were notified on Dec. 30 about young Laniyah Bloodworth who was unresponsive in her home on Wallace Street in Orange. Officers transported the girl to University hospital and she was pronounced dead, prosecutors said.
Laniyah had "unexplained bruising on her body" but her cause of death has yet to be determined following an autopsy, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
The office announced Monday that 21-year-old Jamil Welch, the boyfriend of Laniya's mother, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
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The investigation is ongoing and no other information was immediately available. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
