TOMBALL, Texas — A Tomball woman has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing her then-boyfriend's 4-year-old daughter in 2019, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said.
Shawna Hooey, 33, was convicted of killing 4-year-old Jakyzia Alexander on Sept. 7, 2019. Jakyzia was living with Hooey while the girl's father was working nights and was staying with family closer to where he worked. Because of his schedule, the father had not been able to see his daughter in person for the two months leading up to her death.
On Sept. 7, Hooey took Jakyzia to an emergency center after she claimed the girl had woken up not breathing or acting normally, according to a release from the district attorney's office. She told investigators that she tried to drive the girl around in a hot car to try and get her breathing normally before going back home to change clothes and take her to the emergency room.
The DA's Office said the girl's body was already cold when they got to the emergency center. She had a black eye and other visible injuries.
Hooey reportedly told investigators different stories about how Jakyzia was injured, including that the girl had run into a doorknob and that she threw herself against a toilet paper holder. She said the injuries happened two days before the emergency room visit.
As an investigation unfolded, signs of repeated abuse were discovered, including fresh injuries, according to the DA's Office.
"An autopsy showed that Jakyzia died from blunt force trauma to the head. The injury that killed her would have resulted in seizures, vomiting and dazed reactions almost immediately," the DA's Office said in a news release.
A Harris County jury convicted Hooey of murder after a nine-day trial.
"Child abuse does happen, and when we see it, we need to call it out and notify the police and child protective services," Assistant DA Gilbert Sawtelle said. "This girl was wearing long sleeves in the summertime and if someone had noticed her injuries and intervened, she would probably still be here today."
According to the DA's Office, Hooey has to serve at least half her sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
