GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. – The Gwinnett County mother accused of starving her child to death appeared in court Friday morning.
Devin Moon is charged with cruelty to children in the first degree and felony murder.
On July 24, the 29-year-old mother called authorities to report that her young daughter was "unresponsive" and "cold to the touch." Gwinnett County police arrived to the home on Paxton Lane in unincorporated Lilburn and found the child dead.
She was just shy of 3 years old and weighed 14 pounds, according to police. Three-year-old girls typically weigh between 26 and 38 pounds, according to growth charts from the CDC.
Detectives interviewed Moon who told them that her daughter, Reygan, was born with medical issues which prevented her from gaining weight.
An autopsy found that Reygan's death was due to neglect and malnutrition. No medical issues were found that would have led to Reygan's death, authorities stated.
Authorities said malnutrition was only one of the ways in which Moon neglected her daughter.
Investigators believe Devin Moon worked as a dancer at a local club.
"During the investigation, detectives found that she had been leaving the child to go work basically overnight shifts on a regular basis," said Gwinnett County Police Sgt. Jake Smith. "So, the [child] really was left at home alone for 10-12 hours most nights."
Moon was arrested and charged earlier this week with cruelty to children in the first degree and felony murder. Moon’s preliminary hearing is set for August 8th.
