FAIRBORN — The mother of a 3-year-old girl who was found alone and in critical condition in a Fairborn apartment has learned her sentence.
Rabyah Muballigh, 26, was sentenced to 7 to 10.5 years on Thursday morning for the one count of felonious assault which she previously pleaded no contest to. She received credit for the half of a year she has served.
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Muballigh also previously pleaded no contest to one count of endangering children, but both offenses were “allied offenses for the purpose” of the plea. For the sentencing, prosecutors elected to “proceed to conviction and sentence” for the felonious assault charge, according to court documents.
The child was in the hospital for over two months but has since been released and is in foster care.
“I’m glad that she’s doing better. I’ve spent every night for the past six months praying for her,” Muballigh said in court on Wednesday.
As shown on News Center 7 at 6:00, Muballigh was emotional as she addressed the court.
“I should have gotten help sooner so she wouldn’t have been hurt the way she was,” she said.
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As News Center 7 previously reported, Fairborn police were called to the 300 block of Wallace Drive on Jan. 8 on reports of a child having trouble breathing.
The 911 caller, Muballigh, told dispatchers that the child was alone in the apartment.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the apartment unsecured. Once inside the apartment, they found a 3-year-old child unresponsive who weighed just 16 pounds. Medics immediately took the child to a hospital.
Police said her bed was severely soiled, roaches were everywhere and she had bug bites all over her body.
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Muballigh was arrested by police outside the apartment.
On Thursday, she told the court she was going through a tough time when this happened.
“I just kind of gave up. I stopped getting out of bed, I stopped showering, I stopped eating,” she said. “The only time I was getting up was feeding her, but it wasn’t enough. I should have done more.”
Greene County Prosecuting Attorney David Hayes said he recently filed charges against the alleged father of the child, Corey Moody. He added it is the responsibility of the parents to make sure their child is safe.
“The mother was either unable or unwilling to get help and as a result that child [had] significant injuries and will be dealing with the consequences of this frankly for the rest of her life,” Hayes said.
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