Hellsbells
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Remembering a five-year-old girl
KENT COUNTY -- Joy Heaven, a foster mother accused of inflicting fatal brain injuries to a 5-year-old girl in her custody, is expected to be arraigned this afternoon, court officials said this morning.
Heaven, 30, is being held in the Kent County Jail. State records show her detention is on a homicide charge.
Heaven was arrested about 1 p.m. Tuesday, records show.
Police have released few details about the death of Emily Meno. The girl's grandfather today said she suffered a traumatic injury last Thursday night or early Friday. She died Friday, Hank Schriever said.
"She had blood on the brain," Schriever said of his granddaughter.
It's unclear how long Emily had been in Heaven's care or how long the woman was licensed as a foster parent. Emily was placed there through Bethany Christian Services, which declined to comment Tuesday.
Emily's twin sister also was in that foster mother's home, but was not injured, the girls' grandfather said.
In a MySpace.com posting, Heaven wrote on Monday, "Feels so empty, but knowing you all care helps. I have some details. Viewing on wed, funeral on thurs. still seeing her sparkle in every..."
On the page, Heaven says she received foster-care training in Tallahassee, Fla., then returned to Michigan to be near family.
"i have decided to become a foster parent...," she wrote on the site. "i realized that i needed the local support of my family. so lola (the cat) and i packed up and moved back to michigan. we're living the life in grand rapids now. just waiting to get situated and on my feet again here."
Heaven grew up in Hesperia and has traveled widely, she said on her website.
A woman reached in Hesperia at the Heaven residence said the family is not commenting.
"We're too distraught right now to think," the woman said.
Kent County Sheriff's Capt. Tim Hanrahan said the foster parent, a single woman, was cooperative, but he declined to offer her explanation of what happened.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/07/joy_heaven_30_to_be_arraigned.html
Lots more info at the link
KENT COUNTY -- Joy Heaven, a foster mother accused of inflicting fatal brain injuries to a 5-year-old girl in her custody, is expected to be arraigned this afternoon, court officials said this morning.
Heaven, 30, is being held in the Kent County Jail. State records show her detention is on a homicide charge.
Heaven was arrested about 1 p.m. Tuesday, records show.
Police have released few details about the death of Emily Meno. The girl's grandfather today said she suffered a traumatic injury last Thursday night or early Friday. She died Friday, Hank Schriever said.
"She had blood on the brain," Schriever said of his granddaughter.
It's unclear how long Emily had been in Heaven's care or how long the woman was licensed as a foster parent. Emily was placed there through Bethany Christian Services, which declined to comment Tuesday.
Emily's twin sister also was in that foster mother's home, but was not injured, the girls' grandfather said.
In a MySpace.com posting, Heaven wrote on Monday, "Feels so empty, but knowing you all care helps. I have some details. Viewing on wed, funeral on thurs. still seeing her sparkle in every..."
On the page, Heaven says she received foster-care training in Tallahassee, Fla., then returned to Michigan to be near family.
"i have decided to become a foster parent...," she wrote on the site. "i realized that i needed the local support of my family. so lola (the cat) and i packed up and moved back to michigan. we're living the life in grand rapids now. just waiting to get situated and on my feet again here."
Heaven grew up in Hesperia and has traveled widely, she said on her website.
A woman reached in Hesperia at the Heaven residence said the family is not commenting.
"We're too distraught right now to think," the woman said.
Kent County Sheriff's Capt. Tim Hanrahan said the foster parent, a single woman, was cooperative, but he declined to offer her explanation of what happened.
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/07/joy_heaven_30_to_be_arraigned.html
Lots more info at the link