A 29-year-old woman was arrested in St. Louis, Missouri, after her two daughters were found with severe signs of malnutrition inside a home. One of the minors died and the other remains under medical care.

The defendant was identified as Sausha Myers, who faces two counts of child abuse and is being held without bail, according to a criminal complaint obtained by KSDK.

The deceased minor, identified by her grandmother as Sky, was 20 months old. According to the criminal complaint, she was rushed to a hospital after being found without a pulse, but was later pronounced dead.

Authorities reported serious medical conditions in both minors

According to the complaint, the girl had injuries from lying down for long periods and registered a weight considerably lower than expected for her age.

Her sister, Star, 3, was also taken to the intensive care unit.

Authorities also noted that the older girl had growth of lanugo, a type of body hair that can appear when the body faces a significant loss of fat reserves.

According to the investigation, Myers stated that she was the sole caregiver for the girls and acknowledged that she knew they were not developing properly.

The complaint maintains that none of the minors had received medical care for more than a year. It also indicates that the food provided consisted mainly of yogurt and fruit and vegetable purees.

The defendant's mother, Driyah Boss Milon, stated in a video posted on Facebook that her daughter stopped maintaining contact with the family approximately two years ago.

According to her story, relatives tried to locate her through calls and emails, but were unable to establish communication.

Milon also noted that he believes his daughter could have been experiencing mental health problems, although so far authorities have not reported any medical evaluations or diagnoses related to that aspect.

The family seeks to regain custody of the surviving minor

The grandmother further indicated that Myers' three older children had previously been removed from her care during the pandemic and are currently living with relatives.

While the judicial process progresses, Milon assured that he is negotiating with government agencies to deliver the body of the deceased minor to organize the funeral and seeks to obtain custody of the surviving girl, who remains under child protection.