Maryland mom found pushing dead son in playground swing charged with manslaughter

LA PLATA, Md. (AP) — The mother of a Maryland woman charged with manslaughter after she was found pushing her dead son in a playground swing says her daughter is mentally ill, not a criminal.

Twenty-four-year-old Romechia Simms of La Plata was arraigned on child abuse and manslaughter charges Monday, four months after authorities found her pushing the lifeless body of 3-year-old Ji'Aire Donnell Lee in a swing.

Prosecutors say Simms and her son had been in the park for nearly two full days. A medical examiner said the boy died of dehydration and low body temperature.

Simms' mother, Vontasha Simms, says she was shocked to learn prosecutors are bringing criminal charges, adding the bizarre facts of the case show her daughter wasn't in her right mind.