9-year-old girl tragically dies from a severe head lice infestation

The mother and the grandmother of a nine-year-old girl have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the young child tragically died from a severe head lice infestation.

The young girl, who has remained nameless due to legal reasons, was found by emergency services in her home in Arizona, unresponsive with “a large amount of bugs on her face,” court documents reveal. Upon closer inspection, the paramedics discovered “an enormous amount of lice in her hair.”

An autopsy found that the child died of anaemia, caused by an infection related to the head lice. The young girl was also malnourished at the time of her death. Ultimately, the Pima County Medical Examiner concluded that the girl’s cause of death was due to neglect.

The child’s mother, Sandra Kraykovich (38) and grandmother, Elizabeth Kraykovich (64), have been arrested on suspicion of first degree murder, as it is believed that they were both aware of the severity of the child's condition and chose not to seek out medical care.

On March 21, it has been reported that Sandra texted her boyfriend about her daughter’s condition, writing, “OMG babe. Listen I’m in my room and my mom called me. (redacted) was asking if I could check on her to make sure she isn’t dying.”

Her boyfriend allegedly encouraged her to take the young girl to the hospital, but Sandra decided not to. One of the child’s older siblings reportedly said that Sandra attempted to treat the lice with mouthwash.

Sandra’s other two children, who had also been suffering from head lice, were taken away and placed in the care of other family members.