North Texas woman convicted of beating and burning 2-year-old girl who died in her care

A North Texas woman was sentenced to 60 years in prison in a Tarrant County court for her role in the death of a 2-year-old girl in her care.

Shamonica Jackson, 39, was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to injury to a child in the death of Aniyah Darnell, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

Aniyah's body was covered in bruises and burns, investigators said. The little girl was unconscious and also dehydrated when police found her seriously injured in an Arlington apartment in November 2018. She died the same day at Medical City Arlington Hospital.

Jackson and her boyfriend had custody of the toddler from August 2018 until her death.

Jackson punished the child by spanking him with a belt, police said.

Her boyfriend, Derick Roberson, was sentenced last year to three years of probation for failing to intervene in the abuse. He pleaded guilty to injury to a child by omission. Roberson's conviction came after a judge declared a mistrial in his case.

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The couple had been charged with capital murder before pleading guilty.

Jackson told Arlington police she became frustrated that the child was going to the bathroom with her clothes on. According to an affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram in 2018, Jackson hit the child with a belt and his hand to teach him “a lesson.”

Jackson told police that Aniya had a serious injury, described as a burn, on her back, but did not take the girl to the hospital. Instead, Jackson tried “home remedies” to treat the injury and continued to discipline the girl by hitting her, according to the affidavit.

During the time they had custody of Aniyah, Roberson knew that Jackson had hit the girl several times and given her a bath that caused severe burns to her buttocks and feet, prosecutors alleged.

A medical examiner determined the cause of death was a beaten and dehydrated child and the cause was homicide.

This article includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.