Dericka Lindsay, 9-Year-Old Dies After 325-Pound Adult Sits On Her As Punishment

A child from Pensacola, Florida, died Saturday after her 325-pound cousin allegedly sat on her as a punishment for misbehavior, according to reports.

Dericka Lindsay, 9, had a cardiac arrest after her cousi, Veronica Green Posey, 64, sat on her to discipline her for being out of control. Paramedics responded to the cardiac arrest call at 1:35 p.m EDT in the 300 block of Bryant Road. Upon their arrival, Lindsay was already found to be unresponsive and was taken to Baptist Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Pensacola News Journal reported that during the course of the punishment, Lindsay told the adults she could not breathe. Posey then stood up, and tried to perform CPR on the lifeless body and called 911.

According to the arrest report, Posey told the police officer that she weighed about 325 pounds (147 kilograms).

Two other family members — Grace Joan Smith, 69, and James Edmund Smith, 62, — were charged with child neglect for failing to act on the abuse and prevent it from happening, USA Today reported. Grace was also charged with cruelty toward a child. In the arrest report, it was also mentioned that the Smiths were Lindsay’s parents while Posey was listed as their niece.

The report said Grace called Posey to discipline the girl, who was struck with a ruler and metal pipe before she was able to run to an armchair. Posey then proceeded to sit on Lindsay.

Families, who lived in the neighborhood, told ABC affiliate WEAR-TV that Lindsay had a sister and both of them were apparently well-loved by their parents. The added they felt nothing to be out of the ordinary at the house until police came to the house Saturday afternoon.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith loved those kids and took care of them the best they could. I would have never ever imagined anything like that in the house ever," said Bryant Road resident Pamela Stephens.

Another neighbor, Meagan Stephens, said what happened to the sisters was very sad. "Neither one of them deserved that and I feel very sad for the other since she has to live on without her sister and they were very close," she said. “I never thought it would be something as extent to one of them being killed."

"I remember when they moved in it was joyous because they were beautiful baby girls. They were just so tiny," said Pamela.

Both of them they had rarely ever seen Posey at the Smith’s house

In a statement to The News Journal, Mike Carroll, the secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, said the family had a previous interaction with the state's child welfare system. "Dericka’s death is appalling and DCF will continue coordinating with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to hold anyone responsible for her death accountable," Carroll's statement read. "As the family has a prior interaction with the child welfare system, a thorough quality assurance review will be conducted to review all prior interactions this family has had with the child welfare system."

Posey was released after her bond was set at $125,000. Grace has a bond of $75,000 and James $50,000. They both are still at the Escambia County Jail.