Fairborn mother of malnourished 3-year-old girl competent for trial

Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

The mother of a 3-year-old girl found malnourished and alone in a bug-infested Fairborn apartment in January is competent for trial.

Greene County Common Pleas Judge Adolfo Tornichio found 25-year-old Rabyah Nadirah Muballigh competent to stand trial based on a report following a psychological evaluation. Her attorney and the prosecutor’s office agreed with the finding, according to the court record filed Thursday.

Credit: Greene County Jail

Credit: Greene County Jail

Muballigh is charged with felonious assault and endangering children, also a felony. The judge has set a May 6 trial date.

Fairborn police and medics were dispatched Jan. 8 to the Fairborn Apartments on Wallace Drive on a report that a young child was having trouble breathing and was alone in the apartment.

The child was found on the floor of a rear bedroom, and “appeared extremely malnourished and had obvious bug bites,” an affidavit filed in Fairborn Municipal Court stated.

The girl initially weighed 16 pounds and was in the intensive care unit at Dayton Children’s Hospital but is recovering, prosecutors said.

A healthy weight range for a 3-year-old is between 26 and 38 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

The apartment later was condemned by the Fairborn Department of Code Enforcement.

“Various bugs were observed crawling on the walls, floors and beds. A clear infestation of roaches was observed in each of the two bedrooms as well as other areas of the apartment. Inside the refrigerator and freezer were visible dead bugs and moldy food,” an affidavit stated.

The girl was found in a room with a soiled mattress that had a matted blanket soiled with feces and throughout the room were numerous empty pediatric nutrition and protein drinks, and a decaying mouse was on the living room couch cushion, according to documents.

The 911 caller turned out to be Muballigh, who gave a false name and did not admit she was the girl’s mother.

Muballigh reportedly told police she suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and was unable to properly care for her daughter or the apartment because she sleeps all day. Also, she told police she used a false name when calling 911 because she was afraid, the affidavit stated.

Her attorney has filed a motion to suppress statements she made to police, saying she was not read her Miranda rights beforehand.

Muballigh is held on $250,000 bail in the Greene County Jail.

Staff Writer London Bishop contributed to this report.

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