HOUSTON (AP) — The attorney for a Houston-area mother charged in the fatal stabbing of her 4-year-old daughter says the woman “doesn’t seem well” and is being examined for mental health issues.
Lawyer Philip Scardino’s comments Tuesday came after 34-year-old Laquita Lewis was arraigned on a capital murder charge. She’s accused in the slaying Sunday of her daughter, Fredricka Allen.
Lewis, wearing leg chains and handcuffed to a chain around her waist, told State District Judge Maria Jackson only that she understood the charge against her and her rights. Jackson denied bond.
Authorities said Lewis texted family members Sunday from a hospital after she was involved in a traffic accident, telling them she’d hurt her child. Relatives contacted authorities, and deputies who went to Lewis’ apartment found the girl’s body.