North Carolina Child Dies After Mother Tried To Crate Train Her

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 6-year-old North Carolina girl died weighing just 27 pounds—a weight more typical of a toddler—after enduring what police describe as months of starvation, confinement, and unimaginable abuse.

The child, Dominique Moody, was allegedly subjected to horrific punishments inside a Mecklenburg County home, including being duct taped, starved for more than a year, and even forced to remain inside a dog crate, according to court documents.

Her court-appointed guardian, 61-year-old Susan Robinson, was arrested Saturday and charged with intentional child abuse resulting in serious physical injury, along with four counts of misdemeanor child abuse. A judge denied Robinson bail on Monday. She is expected back in court on January 9, 2026.

Two other adults who lived in the home—Tonya McKnight and Tery’n McKnight—are currently wanted by authorities.

Police allege the abuse was systematic and prolonged. Investigators say Dominique was starved as “punishment for many things,” including eating. In some instances, she was allegedly made to watch the adults eat while she was denied food, left for days in a diaper soaked with urine and feces, causing an “extreme rash,” according to an arrest affidavit.

Hospital staff confirmed that when Dominique died earlier this month, she weighed only 27 pounds.

Photographs obtained by police reportedly show the child bound with black duct tape, her hands and feet visibly swollen, lying helplessly on the living room floor shortly before her death.

Investigators say Dominique lived in the home with at least five other children, ranging in age from 1 to 5, all under the care of the same adults. The conditions inside the residence were described as deplorable—infested with rats and cockroaches, littered with human and animal feces, and lacking adequate heat.

According to police, the only sources of warmth were a kitchen oven and two space heaters—one of which was precariously balanced on a concrete block in the living room and aimed at a cot positioned in front of a couch.

“The children were residing amongst rats and cockroaches,” the affidavit states, noting that some had been bitten by rats. Authorities allege all three adults were fully aware of the conditions and the abuse.

Medical examinations revealed Dominique suffered multiple fractures, burns, scarring, and open wounds. Police say she had healed circular scars on her legs and feet, an open burn-like wound on her ankle, and fractured ribs on both sides of her body.

Despite witnessing the abuse, Robinson allegedly failed to intervene or seek help. “Susan advised that she has seen Dominique Moody duct taped, left without food, in soiled diapers for days, and refused to assist, call 911, or report that abuse and neglect,” the affidavit states.

Inside the home, investigators reported seeing rats actively running through cluttered rooms, with filth covering floors and surfaces.

Dominique’s death has sparked outrage and renewed scrutiny over child welfare oversight, as authorities continue searching for the remaining suspects and investigating how such abuse was allowed to continue for so long—hidden behind closed doors.