La Plata, MD – Romechia Simms, 24 of Upper Marlboro, will be held on $150,000 in the case involving her 3-year-old son who died while in a swing set at Wills Park in La Plata back in May.
Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West made that determination Monday, Sept. 14 in La Plata.
Simms is facing 25 years for child abuse first-degree, 10 years on manslaughter charges another 10 years for neglect of a minor child by a parent.
Charles County State’s Attorney Tony Covington asked that Simms be held without bond.
Covington detailed how Simms took her 3-year-old son to Wills Park prior to May 22. There is video showing her actions, he said.
“She put her son in a bucket swing,” Covington said. “The child remained in the swing for 40 hours. He never leaves that swing.”
He described the May weather as “unusually cool.” Covington added that the scenario was witnessed by a number of individuals.
She placed her son in the swing on Wednesday, he explained. On Friday morning, someone who lived close by witnessed the child and called police, concerned for the child’s welfare.
The police arrived, he said, and determined the child had been deceased for eight to 10 hours.
“The child’s shoes were in the swing next to the one he was in, and they were filled with water,” Covington said. “On Thursday, it had rained all day. The child’s jacket had been thrown in the trash can.”
The child’s body was taken to the medical examiner’s office in Baltimore.
“The child had no food or water at all,” Covington added. “It was rainy and cold.”
There is also evidence that Simms had smoked K-2, a marijuana substitute which Covington compared on some level to PCP.
“What we’re finding out about K-2 is that it makes people act very poorly,” he said.
Simms was taken for a mental evaluation after the child’s death, Covington noted.
He asked that she be held without bond, at least until a follow-up mental evaluation is conducted.
Charles County Assistant Public Defender Allison Heldreth told West Simms was “absolutely not a flight risk.
“She has no record,” Heldreth said. “Any evaluation can be done on an outpatient basis. She is not a danger to the community. She’s not a danger to anybody.”
Heldreth added her client could only afford a $1,500 bond.
Simms told the court that she was taken to University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center in La Plata, but was transferred to Prince George’s County.
“I didn’t even mean for this to happen,” she told the court.
“It’s more about flight risk than public safety,” West observed.
“I just think this is one of those cases, with these type of charges, I don’t think we can take the risk,” he added, setting bond at $150,000 and told the defendant she is to have no contact with minor children while she is awaiting trial.
Motions will be held Dec. 18 with a jury trial slated for Jan. 25 in Charles County Circuit Court.
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com