Madison Heights mother expected in court after 5-year-old dies at their home

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (FOX 2) - A mother is in police custody after her five-year-old daughter died at home. So far there is no official word from investigators about exactly what happened, but the little girl's father did speak with FOX 2 about what took place. 

It is a difficult story to share on the week of Thanksgiving as a father discovers his daughter’s lifeless body. Now, the mother of that child has been arrested. 

"My heart is shattered, and I just don’t know what to do right now, but we’re coping with it," her father said.

Her name was Aiyana. Her dad described her as a star. Sadly, over the weekend, the light from the bright young 5-year-old dimmed. Aiyana’s father spoke to FOX 2, 24 hours after his daughter died Sunday.

"Her mother had some drinks, and apparently, she crawled up on to the couch to cuddle her and ended up on top of her and suffocated her. I found her at 7:30 a.m. in the morning, and I had seen her underneath her mother. I threw her mother off of her, and I grabbed my baby and her body was lifeless," he said. "This was not intentional. Her mother would never harm her. Would never do anything to hurt her."

Madison Heights police took the girl’s mother into custody, where she remains.

"She was the most wonderful, beautiful little girl. She was so happy and smart," her father said.

FOX 2 met with Aiyana’s father at the family home on Hecht Drive. A quiet, overcast, and gloomy day was the fitting backdrop for such an unthinkable tragedy. A family member created a GoFundMe for Aiyana. 

But her father says what he needs most is prayers.

"She was going to be somebody special," he said. "Everyone loved her. She loved everybody. She was so wonderful. She loved to dance and sing."

The father plans to cremate his daughter’s remains. The mother will have her first court appearance on Tuesday morning.