MIAMI (WSVN) - Police have arrested a man and two women and charged them with aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of an 11-year-old girl in Miami, according to detectives.
Officers took 59-year-old Charlene Webster, 43-year-old Nancy Severe and 40-year-old Titato Clarke into custody following the incident on Tuesday at approximately 12 p.m. at an apartment at 200 NW 17th Ave.
“[The address is] 200 Northwest 17th Street, reference a female juvie shot,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner.
City of Miami Police units initially responded to the scene after reports of a gunshot.
Police said that upon arrival, Titato, the victim’s father, informed officers that a loud pop was heard from the children’s room.
“This girl and her brother were inside a room. They heard a bang, went inside the room, and she was already shot,” said Miami Police Capt. Freddie Cruz.
Clarke reportedly told officers that he discovered his daughter, identified as Taliyah Clarke, suffering from a gunshot wound in the chest and transported her to Holtz Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
“Father left in a black Nissan en route for JMH,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner. “I just got flagged down here at JMH Trauma. The victim’s here.”
Taliyah’s 9-year-old brother was reportedly in the room as well. He wasn’t hurt.
A neighbor recalled the moment Titato lifted his child’s wounded body.
“Next thing we know, she was in the father’s arms and bleeding so badly. I don’t know what had happened in there. We didn’t hear anything,” said Gina.
Despite emergency surgery, the girl was pronounced dead at 1:09 p.m.
Now, a grieving mother is left only with the memories of her daughter.
7News spoke with Taliyah’s mother, Chantrell Manning, over the phone.
“She was a sweet person. She had a nice spirit. She likes doing dances. She has thousands of TikToks,” said Manning. “She was just like family’s favorite. Grandma’s favorite. Mama’s favorite.”
The three adults who were responsible for supervising the victim gave inconsistent statements about the shooting, according to the arrest report.
“They have a story that they told the police, and they’re still investigating, so they don’t know exactly what happened,” said Manning.
“It’s important because they don’t really, necessarily know how it could affect them or what could happen to them if they mistakenly pulled the trigger,” said Manning.
The mother, along with other family members, arrived at the apartment building where the shooting occurred to leave flowers and balloons in Taliyah’s memory.
“She was very sweet, honest. She loved to dance TikToks. Just so happy. She had a rich spirit, and she was just so loving, show everybody love around her,” said Manning. “Just so sad, this happened to her.”
Titato, who, police said, has a history of 12 felony convictions, initially provided multiple conflicting accounts of the event.
Detectives said weapons in the house had caused tension between Titano and his girlfriend before.
“She did have knowledge in the past that her codefendant, Mr. Clarke, was known to possess weapons; that’s why she initially broke up their initial relationship,” said a detective.
Webster, the victim’s paternal grandmother, and Severe, Clarke’s romantic partner, who shares three children with him, were also residents of the apartment at the time.
All three adults were arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child under 18. In court Wednesday, all three were denied bond.
“He’s going to be held, no bond,” said the judge. “She’s gonna be held, no bond.”
Now, the girl’s mother has a message for parents.
“It’s important to keep those guns in the safe, away from children, ’cause we don’t want to experience this tragedy,” she said.
Taliyah’s name is added to the list of children killed or injured in accidental shootings in South Florida.
In Miami Gardens, 13-year-old George Harris Jr. died after police said he and his friends were playing with a gun.
A 3-year-old boy in Homestead accidentally shot himself in the foot after finding his mother’s gun.
In North Miami, 4-year-old James Jr. shot himself in the head after finding his father’s gun. As of Thursday, the boy is still in the hospital.
In September of last year, a 3-year-old girl accidentally shot herself in the hand in Southwest Miami-Dade after a loaded gun was left on a sofa.
That same month, 10-year-old Melvin Cockroft died after getting his hands on his father’s gun.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “intentional injury is a leading cause of death among U.S. children and adolescents aged 0-17 years, and firearms are a leading injury method.”
“This is just a tragedy that we’ve seen in the past, and we don’t want to see any more,” said Miami Police Department Captain Freddie Cruz.
Police said there is a way to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening in your home.
“If you have a firearm in your home, make sure you have it secured and somewhere away from children and anyone that doesn’t know what they’re doing with an firearm. A message for kids if they see a firearm anywhere: call 911, report it to an adult,” said Cruz.
According to the arrest report, a search of the apartment revealed a .40-caliber casing and a Glock handgun wrapped in a scarf and blanket in the children’s bedroom, along with large pools of blood consistent with the shooting.
Anyone who wants to help the family honor Taliyah can go to their GoFundMe page to make a donation.
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