August 27 – A mother and father from Deposit have been charged with involvement in the death of their 3-year-old child.
Delaware County District Attorney Shawn Smith announced in a press release Tuesday, August 27, that James D. Christ, 27, was indicted by a grand jury on August 22 on murder and other charges in connection with the May 9 death of the child in the town of Deposit.
The charge of second-degree murder, a class A-1 felony, alleges that Christ intentionally killed the child.
Two counts of endangering the welfare of a child allege that Christ, beginning on or about March 6 and continuing through May 10, “intentionally acted in a manner likely to be detrimental to the physical, mental or moral welfare of two separate children, each 3 years of age.”
Christ is also charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, a class D felony. The indictment alleges that beginning on April 9 and continuing through May 10, Christ “engaged in reckless conduct, under circumstances that demonstrated a depraved indifference to human life, thereby creating a serious risk of death to a 3-year-old child.”
Christ was arraigned Tuesday in Delaware County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty. Judge John L. Hubbard remanded him to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail pending trial.
Smith also announced that Marielys Ramos, 27, has been indicted by a grand jury and charged with three felonies in connection with the case.
Ramos was indicted on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She alleged that, beginning on or about March 6 and continuing through May 10 in Deposit, she “intentionally acted in a manner prejudicial to the physical, mental or moral welfare of two separate children, each 3 years of age.”
She was also charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, a class D felony. The indictment alleges that Ramos, beginning on April 9 and continuing through May 10, “engaged in reckless conduct, under circumstances that demonstrated a depraved indifference to human life, thereby creating a serious risk of death to a 3-year-old child.”
Ramos was arraigned Tuesday in Delaware County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty. Hubbard released her on non-monetary conditions pending her next court appearance.
State police said officers were dispatched to an address on Fair Street in Deposit on May 10 after a toddler was found unresponsive. After an investigation, it was determined that Christ recklessly caused the child’s death, they said.
