Florida Woman Allegedly Ordered Rottweiler to Attack Nine-Year-Old Girl

Authorities in Florida have apprehended a woman believed to have instigated a tragic dog mauling that culminated in the death of her ex-boyfriend’s nine-year-old daughter.

Tyshael Elise Martin, 34, faces multiple serious charges including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and child neglect. She was taken into custody on Wednesday and is currently being held in the Lake County Jail.

The horrifying event took place on June 17 when emergency medical crews were summoned to a residence in Monteverde. Upon arrival, they discovered Jamaria Sessions, the daughter of Martin’s ex-boyfriend, in a severely injured state. Unfortunately, the girl was pronounced dead shortly after the paramedics assessed her condition.

Martin recounted to authorities that she intended to start a family trip to California on that morning, but was shocked to find Sessions unresponsive.

Medical personnel observed significant injuries on Sessions’s body, including bruises, burns, and bite marks, leading to a preliminary autopsy report that indicated signs of abuse.

When the girl’s father, Lojuan Sessions, arrived at the scene, investigators noted that he appeared to be in a state of disbelief. This was because he had initially thought his daughter was visiting family in California since Martin had sent him a message on June 10 stating that Sessions had been taken there by her grandmother.

Lojuan’s inability to travel with his daughter arose from his status on felony probation. He explained to investigators that he and Martin had been involved in frequent disputes, prompting him to move back in with his mother in Ocoee, Florida, following their breakup.

After gathering the necessary information, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant to review the home’s security surveillance footage.

What they discovered was chilling: the footage revealed Martin actively holding the leash of the family’s Rottweiler and giving commands to the dog as it attacked the little girl. This footage came to light two days before the discovery of Sessions’s body.

The investigation also captured Martin in a disturbing act, allegedly kicking, shaking, and dragging the child’s lifeless body across the floor. Reports suggest that she may have been heard on the recording saying, “I’m fixin’ to kill her.”

Further scrutiny of the situation unearthed evidence indicating that the girl had been subjected to regular physical punishment and abuse. The medical examiner’s findings determined that Sessions died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries impacting her head, torso, and extremities, along with thermal injury to her right foot, categorizing her death as a homicide.

Currently, Martin remains behind bars without the possibility of bond being granted.