Probation likely for Bristol Twp. mom whose boyfriend killed her toddler

Posted: Friday, March 15, 2013

A Bristol Township mother who police say knew her boyfriend was physically abusing her 18-month-old daughter for weeks before he killed her will likely receive probation under a negotiated plea agreement.

The deal for Nakia Adams, 28, of Haines Road, was outlined Thursday when she appeared before Bensalem District Judge Joseph Falcone and waived to Bucks County Court a single charge of endangering the welfare of children.

If Adams fails to plead guilty, the recommendation for probation will be withdrawn, prosecutor Matt Weintraub said.

Bensalem police filed the endangering charge against Adams last month, shortly after her then-boyfriend Adrian Allen, 28, pleaded guilty in county court to last year’s murder of her daughter.

Police allege that not only did Adams know Allen was abusing the girl, but she lied to police, hospital and social workers about how the injuries happened and failed to get the girl prompt medical treatment.

Hospital and autopsy records show that multiple injuries were inflicted on Barbara Adams during the two months before her death. They included a broken arm, a broken leg, broken ribs and a human adult bite mark on her upper arm. Bruising and scars covered her body.

She died 11 days after Allen kicked her in the head on Feb. 25, 2012, after the girl soiled her diaper.   

Adams was “very well aware of (Barbara) suffering many injuries under her boyfriend’s care and still allowing him to care for her until the tragic death of the child,” according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police say that on Jan. 7, 2012, Adams took Barbara to Aria Health’s Torresdale campus, where she told hospital workers the baby appeared to be suffering side effects from vaccinations she received a few weeks before. She told the medical staff that Barbara had developed a full body rash a week after getting the shots and was lethargic for three days, according to an affidavit.

“Today, she can’t walk on her right leg,” she also told the ER workers, according to the affidavit, in which the mother is quoted as saying the girl also had favored her left arm.

Adams left the emergency room after a few hours, without allowing doctors to treat Barbara, police said.

The next day, Adams took the girl to St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown — not for treatment of her arm — but for a spiral fracture of her right leg. The primary report by the ER staff stated that Adams claimed her daughter’s leg and hip pain began the day before. The ER staff also found several old burn marks on the girl’s upper left leg and a spiral fracture of the leg, police said.

The mother also lied about who was caring for the child when she was injured, police said. She told St. Mary workers the injuries were caused by a babysitter whom she had since fired, court records show. She later admitted Allen was the babysitter.

St. Mary Medical Center notified police about the injuries. Police notified Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services, which investigated. The District Attorney’s Office said the agency was satisfied with Adams’ explanation that her two older daughters accidentally broke the girl’s leg while roughhousing. so the case was closed.

Barbara’s last trip to the ER was Feb. 26, after Adams told police she arrived at her Bensalem apartment about 6:45 p.m. to find her daughter in bed and unresponsive.

Adams told officials she left Barbara and her sisters — ages 5 and 8 — with Allen the weekend of Feb. 24 while she was out of town. Allen, who isn’t the father of any of the children, regularly babysat for Adams, police said. Initially, Allen told police the child became sick on Feb. 25, was throwing up and the next morning was “out of it,” police said.

Prosecutors alleged that Allen initially told them Barbara was injured after she knocked over four stacked wooden kitchen chairs while leaning against them to get up after a fall. The accident happened after Allen forced the child to walk on her broken leg to dispose of her dirty diaper because he was “mad at her mother,” according to the probable cause affidavit in his case.

Allen later told police that he “snapped” while trying to change Barbara’s diaper and he kicked the girl in the head while wearing heavy boots, causing her to begin having seizures.

When Adams returned home and found her daughter unconscious, she took her to St. Mary Medical Center, where doctors determined she had serious internal bleeding in her skull that required emergency surgery. There also was evidence of blunt force trauma to her head, a cut on her top lip, and other injures consistent with child abuse, police said.

Barbara was transferred to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, where she died from the head trauma.

Adams cooperated with the police investigation into Barbara’s death and the prosecution of Allen, which is why the DA delayed filing criminal charges, Weintraub said.

“We didn’t want to rush into charging her,” he added.

Her two other children don’t appear to have been physically abused. Bucks County Children and Youth Social Services removed the girls from the home and they are in the custody of their grandmother.

In January, Allen pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and child endangerment, and no contest to first-degree murder in Barbara’s death. He will serve life in prison under a plea agreement.

Adams remains free on $75,000 unsecured bail.

Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181; email: jciavaglia@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia