GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office decided not to pursue charges at this time for a baby’s death in February.
Kaiyanni Jones, who was one year and 11 months old, was taken to the hospital February 19 with life-threatening injuries.
She was declared legally dead later that week, and the Grand Rapids Police Department ruled her death a homicide.
“I want justice for her. I’m not letting it go unanswered, I’m not. I refuse. Somebody is going to pay for my daughter’s murder. Somebody is going to pay. Somebody is going to jail," Amanda O'Brien, Kaiyanni's mother, told FOX 17 Tuesday.
READ MORE: 1-year-old’s death ruled homicide
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker told FOX 17 Tuesday that there is not enough evidence right now to press charges.
"I feel like everybody should have been arrested that day on scene when they took my daughter in that ambulance and she had bruises from head to toe," O'Brien said. "She had bruises all over her face, her legs, all that...she looked like she went through hell."
O’Brien has previously told FOX 17 that the people who were watching Kaiyanni when she was rushed to the hospital were close friends and claimed not to be responsible for what happened. Her tone was very different when we interviewed her at her home Tuesday evening.
“It’s not changing for us. We still feel this every day. We gotta live without her every day. Them people out here living they life, taking trips, Michigan Adventures, walking the west side getting ice cream, just living their life they ain’t do nothing wrong. Nothing. And I’m not okay with it,” O’Brien said.
READ MORE: Grand Rapids mother pleads for justice after 1-year-old’s death ruled homicide
O'Brien says she is considering pursuing other legal actions to get justice for her family.
“Something needs to be done. She was one. It ain’t nothing in this world a one-year-old child could do that could make you hit them as hard as you hit her,” O’Brien said.
