Mother, grandmother charged with murder after child found dead in hotel, NC police say
A mother and grandmother from Gastonia have been charged with murder after a young child was found dead in an Asheville hotel Monday afternoon, police said.
Police in Asheville arrived at the Rodeway Inn and Suites on Crowell Road around 3:10 p.m. to conduct a welfare check. When officers entered the hotel room, they found an “extremely malnourished” child dead on the floor, police said in a Facebook post.
Inga Torrence Matthews, 50, and Chantarica Nasha Matthews, 29, were in the room with the child, police said. They both were detained and charged with first-degree murder, felony child abuse and concealment of death, according to police.
The mother, grandmother and child had been staying at the hotel intermittently for some time, police said. The child is a 3-year-old boy, Asheville Police spokesman Bill Davis told the Charlotte Observer.
Both women were taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility for booking, and each has a $95,000 secured bond on the felony child abuse and concealment of death charges, according to police.
Anyone with information about this case can send an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD to 847411, or using the TIP2APD smartphone app. People can also share information by calling 828-252-1110.
This story was originally published May 4, 2022 at 1:04 PM.
