A Michigan nanny faces serious charges after allegedly stabbing the grandfather of the child she was hired to care for, resulting in his death. The violent incident also left the 3-year-old girl and her uncle injured.
Samantha Rae Booth, aged 35, has been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, assault, and three counts of resisting arrest by law enforcement officers.
The Royal Oak Police Department reported that the child’s mother, who was out of town, reached out to David Ong, 83, on Friday night. She asked him to check on her daughter’s well-being as Booth was responsible for the child’s care during her absence.
Authorities have not disclosed the specific reasons that led the mother to request that Ong check on his granddaughter.
When Ong failed to update his daughter within a reasonable timeframe, she contacted her brother-in-law to check on both her father and daughter. He arrived at the residence just before 9:30 p.m., around 90 minutes after Ong had initially been asked to intervene, and entered the house.
“Upon arrival, he heard disturbing noises emanating from the basement and attempted to communicate with the nanny, but received no response,” according to the police. “He found the nanny in a frenzied state, covered in blood, with his father-in-law gravely wounded on the floor.”
The brother-in-law picked up his niece and fled the home, all the while fending off “continued attacks from the nanny until he was able to escape.” Booth pursued him outside, armed with a screwdriver, until he encountered a group of people who led him and his niece inside their home while he called 911.
Once he was safe inside with the little girl, Booth ended her pursuit, “stripped off all her clothing and dropped the screwdriver.” She fled police when they arrived but was quickly brought into custody.
Both the little girl and the uncle suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital and released.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said the family had known Booth, who had no known criminal history, for about two years and that she had cared for the toddler in the past without incident, WDIV reported.
Police found psychedelic mushrooms and marijuana in the nanny’s purse and said she made incriminating statements while being transported to the police station, the outlet said.
“Booth stated, ‘I f*** him the f*** up — and yes, I did it … God, it was too easy,’” police said.
Booth was denied bond when she was arraigned on Tuesday. The video arraignment was delayed for an hour when Booth refused to put on clothes or get up off the floor of her cell to appear, WWJ reported.
She is due in court again on November 7.
