PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia woman accused of brutally beating a 3-year-old girl to death has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder.
Prosecutors said 25-year-old Kiarali Rodriguez-Ayala would burn and beat the child. In February 2023, police responded to her West Philadelphia home and found the toddler dead in a bathtub.
In court on Wednesday, Rodriguez-Ayala seemed reluctant to admit that she killed the toddler, pausing for a few moments after the judge asked her if what the prosecution alleged was true.
She pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault and related offenses. Officials had said there were also signs of possible sexual abuse, but Rodriguez-Ayala was never charged with that.
The toddler's mother said she met Rodriguez-Ayala over social media and temporarily put the child in her care.
Rodriguez-Ayala had two of her own children living in the home at the time, a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, who also appeared to show signs of abuse. Both children were taken from the home and have been under DHS care.
Sources said Rodriguez-Ayala had been trafficked as a teenager and has some mental health issues. She is set to be sentenced in May.
