Relatives, friends honoring Grand Prairie 4 year old, raising awareness for abused kids
Mansfield - Friends and family honored 4 year old Leiliana Wright Sunday night, allegedly beaten to death by her mother and her boyfriend.
Relatives say the vigil was not just for Leiliana, but to raise awareness for victims of child abuse.
Jeri Cruz, the child’s mother who also uses the last name Quezada, is now booked into Dallas County Jail after being transferred from the Grand Prairie jail.
Cruz is facing an injury to a child charge with a bond of $500,000.
Four year old Leiliana Wright died on March 13.
The family is remembering her with a candlelight vigil in Katherine Rose Memorial Park in Mansfield
Investigators say Cruz and her boyfriend, Charles Phifer, were high on heroin when they beat Lailiana with a bamboo stick and belt
An arrest warrant states Phifer tied the child to a coat rod in a closet. She later collapsed in the shower and died
Leiliana’s paternal grandparents told Fox 4 in an interview that they reported allegations of abuse to Child Protective Services, but Leiliana remained in her mother’s custody
Earlier this week, CPS fired a caseworker and supervisor. A special investigator resigned.
Fox 4 also learned that 600 kids in CPS custody didn’t have documented face-to-face meetings with caseworkers since February.