Mother Accused of Killing Daughter, 11
A Los Angeles woman was charged Friday with smothering her 11-year-old daughter after discovering her live-in boyfriend having sex with the child.
The boyfriend was also charged with committing a lewd act with the child and with being an accessory to Tuesday’s murder.
Era Avanelee Ross, 33, and Harton Washington, 22, were arraigned on the charges in Municipal Court on Friday.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Norm Shapiro said Ross smothered her daughter with a pillow Wednesday after finding the child and Washington having sex in a car parked outside their home on South Budlong Avenue. Ross, who is pregnant, also stabbed Washington once in the buttocks.
Shapiro said that after the girl was killed, Ross and Washington tried to hide the child in the back yard, covering her with dirt and leaves.
Neighbors, however, called paramedics after spotting the girl lying on the ground. The child was taken to California Hospital, where she was pronounced dead about three hours later.
Ross remains in custody without bail, while Washington remains in custody in lieu of $25,000 bail.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
