New details show ongoing abuse inside home where toddler was killed

Boy beaten to death for drinking from milk jug, officials say

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a newly released probable-cause affidavit, detectives claim Brandi Mokarzel admitted to witnessing at least three prior incidents of abuse within the past two months.

Mokarzel's 3-year-old son, Xavier, died July 7 at an apartment complex in Orlando after someone called 911 to report the child was unconscious.

Mokarzel is not charged in her son's death, but is instead charged with child neglect.

The documents show Mokarzel previously watched as her son was beaten with a wooden spoon.

During another incident, Mokarzel observed little Xavier being whipped with the same type of plastic wand used to move window blinds that was used in his death.

In a graphic incident, detectives claim Mokarzel admitted to observing the toddler being forced to take a cold shower, then stand in front of a fan. She claims to have witnessed him being whipped again while still wet.

Mokarzel is still in custody at the Orange County Jail on a $2,500 bond. If she is released, she is not allowed to have contact with anyone under 18 years of age.

Mokarzel's girlfriend, Lakensha Lewis, and her mother, Callene Barton, remain in custody without bond on first-degree murder charges.


About the Author

Troy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. He has reported on Mexican drug cartel violence on the El Paso/ Juarez border, nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory and severe Winter weather in Michigan.

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