Sadly, last week, a young boy, Zion Staples, was discovered deceased in a Rock Island, Illinois garage at his mom’s home. The mother, 37-year-old Sushi Staples, is currently facing charges, reports PEOPLE. The Rock Island Police Department embarked on an investigation into the death of the 10-year-old last Wednesday, reports TV6.
Officials discovered Zion’s body at the residence after reportedly being left in the garage for seven months, according to ABC 6 News. The news outlet reports that officials say the 37-year-old mother has been charged with
“concealment of a death, failure to report the death of a child under 13, and obstruction of justice.”
The Quad City Times reports that the boy was hidden in the garbage bin which was inside the garage. An autopsy was conducted and it was determined that the cause of death was
“suspicious.”
An unidentified woman whose tip led investigators to discover the boy spoke to TV6. She requested to stay anonymous. She informed the outlet that she called the Department of Children and Family Services over the past couple of months because the mother began saying odd things about the 10-year-old boy. She claimed that the mother told her on Jan. 3 that Christmas won’t be the same anymore. On July 25, the unnamed woman called the DCFS, which led to a welfare check. This eventually caused officials to discover the boy’s body.
Neighbors, who recently moved to the area, told the news outlet,
“We saw that we saw two girls. You know, coming sometimes, like out in the yard. I saw them drawing with chalk in the back driveway…Playing with scooters out in front of the garage, everything seemed really normal.”
Staples is currently being held on a $500,000 bond as she awaits her preliminary hearing this month.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
