http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6852586.htmlHouston mom accused of fatally starving 8-year-old girlBy DALE LEZON
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Feb. 5, 2010, 10:21AM
Almita Nicole Lockhart
A Houston woman is accused of starving her 8-year-old daughter to death a year ago, authorities said.
Almita Nicole Lockhart, 34, is accused of neglecting Halle Shamille Smith to the point that she weighed just 15½ pounds when she died, said Estella Olguin, spokeswoman for Children's Protective Services. Lockhart is charged with injury to a child with serious bodily injury.
Halle, who was born severely premature, suffered a stroke and had underlying health issues that required her to be fed through a tube, was unresponsive when Lockhart took her to an emergency room in on Jan. 16, 2009. Lockhart was charged on Jan. 14, 2010, and jailed Tuesday after autopsy results and further investigation led authorities to believe the girl's condition was intentionally inflicted, Olguin said.
Lockhart's court-appointed defense attorney, Daphne Pattison, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Lockhart held Halle in an empty apartment in the 13500 block of Northborough in the Greenspoint area of north Houston, authorities said, and apparently did not feed her properly.
According to Donna Hawkins with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Halle was born Feb. 24, 2000, and immediately suffered from convulsions and breathing problems, then later contracted tuberculosis. A feeding tube was inserted, and she had it for the rest of her life.
Court documents show Halle was provided with 24-hour nursing care when she was 20 months old, but the child's father -- who is not charged -- said he and Lockhart discontinued it because they tired of medical personnel coming in and out.
According to medical records, Halle weighed 35 pounds at age 2, dropped to 23 pounds by age 4 and weighed 27 pounds in November 2006, the last time it appears she was seen by doctors or nurses. She lost 40 percent of her body weight between then and the date of her death of malnutrition and dehydration.
Lockhart, who has a total of 10 children according to CPS, remains in jail today in lieu of a $30,000 bond. Her next court appearance is set for Feb. 24, the day Halle would have turned 10.
The other children, who range in age from 2 to 18, were living elsewhere and taken into state custody, where five remain today. The four oldest have been placed with their natural father, Olguin said.
CPS visited Lockhart in 2006, the same year Lockhart was convicted on a drug charge, and determined conditions were satisfactory.
At some point after the CPS visit, Olguin said Lockhart stopped making regular medical appointments for Halle.