The disturbing case of a 9-year-old Brooklyn girl's death on Sunday has been ruled a homicide by the city's medical examiner.
Police investigating after the girl was found dead in her home from multiple blunt force trauma had still not announced any arrests by Monday afternoon, almost 24 hours after questioning the girl's mother.
Neighbors on the Crown Heights block where the girl lived said they smelled a foul odor from the home before police arrived.
The community was in shock after learning the little girl they would see walk to school with her older sister was found dead.
The NYPD said 9-year-old Shalom Guifarro was discovered around 1 p.m. off Lincoln Place. She was unresponsive and had "trauma to her body," a preliminary report from police said.
Police said her mother had called 911 in the morning and was taken to the precinct for questioning after officers visited the home. Authorities later said that questioning had ended, and that they would wait for the medical examiner to determine a cause of death before moving their investigation forward.
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Bart Hubbach, who owns the restaurant downstairs, said his employees smelled the odor Sunday morning and called police to have it checked out before officers arrived that afternoon.
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"The girls were very polite, very well mannered. I feel bad because the mom was kind of a nightmare. She was always yelling," Hubbach said.
Other neighbors described the girls as respectful, smart and sweet, and said their mother was a good parent but could be very strict.
The Administration for Children's Protective Services says it is investigating.
"Our top priority is protecting the safety and well-being of New York City's children. We are investigating this case with the NYPD, and we have taken action to secure the safety of the other child in this home," an ACS spokesperson said.
