Police Say 8-Year-Old Dies of Dehydration After Being Forced To Jump On Trampoline in 110 Degree Heat
The young girl was being punished and had been denied breakfast and water.
Daniel Schwarz and Ashley Schwarz [Odessa Police Department]
According to a statement released by the Odessa Police Department on Monday, officers responded to a medical call at an Odessa residence on August 29, 2020.
There they "observed an 8-year-old female, who was later pronounced deceased on scene."
Further investigation revealed that the young girl, Jaylin, was being punished and had not been given breakfast and was forced to "jump on the trampoline without stopping for an extended period of time" and that she "was not allowed to drink any water because she was not jumping." Police later were able to determine that the temperature on the trampoline was approximately 110 degrees and that the ground temperature was around 150 degrees.
A final autopsy report released on October 9th listed the manner of death as homicide and the cause of death dehydration.
Capital murder warrants were subsequently obtained for Daniel Schwarz, 44, and Ashley Schwarz, 34, who were taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center.
Jaylin's family members told CBS7 that Daniel Schwarz, 44, and Ashley Schwarz, 34, were not her parents but were her "guardians" however according to NewsWest9 arrest affidavits identify the two as the parents. The affidavits apparently also include notes on how the family had used the trampoline in the past as a form of punishment and that there may have been a second child in the household.
The Odessa Police Department continues to investigate this tragic incident.
