Five adults accused of killing or nearly killing children in their care were indicted this week by a Richmond County grand jury.
James Bernard Thomas, 33, and Maiah Lewis were indicted for second-degree murder after their son, Maison Amir Lewis, died Oct. 21 from injuries sustained in an Aug. 14 car crash. He was not restrained in a car seat, authorities said.
Maison Lewis was only 10 days old when the Chrysler Sebring driven by Thomas was involved in a two-vehicle wreck on Kissingbower Road at Milledgeville Road. Authorities say their car reeked of marijuana and there was an open container of alcohol. The father was impaired and had run a red light, authorities said.
Thomas and the child’s mother had a stash of marijuana totaling over 35 grams throughout the vehicle as well as codeine. Digital scales, commonly used to weigh drugs for sale, were found under the seats of both the father and the mother, authorities said.
The indictment says Thomas and Lewis failed to properly secure the newborn baby in a car seat. He sustained brain bleeding, a lacerated spleen and lung contusions in the crash, injuries he later died from, it said.
The couple also is charged with second-degree cruelty to children and possession of marijuana and codeine with the intent to distribute in the 17-count indictment.
Thomas faces four counts of first-degree homicide by vehicle for allegedly being under the influence of alcohol during the crash, two counts of endangering a child while driving under the influence and additional counts of running a red light, having an open container of alcohol, driving without insurance, a child safety restraint violation and failing to wear a seatbelt.
The baby was buried Saturday (Nov. 4), even as Thomas remained in jail. Lewis has not been rebooked on the murder charge, but she twisted the details of the August crash into a plea for money on GoFundMe.
From the post: “Maison bug made his grand entrance August 4, 2023 && we were in a 2 vehicle wreck where someone hit us & almost took all of our lives on AUGUST 14,2023 but god gave all of us another chance && Maison gained his beautiful wings OCTOBER 21,2023 . Miracle Maison was a fighter just like his parents . He is no longer suffering no longer in pain ️ I thank God everyday for my MAISON !!!!”
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Meanwhile, the trio associated with the Aug. 17 near-fatal exposure to fentanyl of a three-year-old were named in a 12-count indictment Tuesday.
The child’s mother, Talethea S. Browman, 35, and another woman, Aisha Chakea Bartley, 31, were indicted for second-degree cruelty to children for allowing the child to ingest fentanyl at a Howard Road residence.
Browman and the child’s father, Matthew Moss, 41, were indicted for first-degree cruelty to children for failing to seek medical attention for a 1-year-old who had serious burns on his arms, hands and back.
Brownman and Moss were indicted for causing the two children and two others “to be in need of child services” by forcing them to reside in an unsafe home with exposed wiring, trash throughout, holes in floors, buckets containing water and chemicals and food infested with insects. Previous reporting said the 1-year-old’s bottle had maggots inside.
Bartley was indicted for possession of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and oxycodone. Moss was indicted for possession of drug-related objects, glass pipes, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In an unrelated indictment, convicted sex offender Anthony Michael Nix, 31, was indicted on two counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of aggravated sodomy, home invasion, burglary and aggravated assault.
Nix is accused of using a razor blade as a weapon in the incident, which took place at a Circular Drive residence.
Nix, Thomas, Browman, Moss and Bartley were jailed without bond as of Thursday while Lewis was not in custody.
Jail Report writer Greg Rickabaugh contributed to this report.
