Woman arrested in death of girl

Amira Brown, 12, died after a 262-pound city woman beat and then sat on her, detectives say

Keith Mayer

Reading Eagle

Jan. 6--A 262-pound Reading woman was arrested Thursday on charges that she beat a 130-pound 12-year-old girl with a mop handle and sat on her, causing the girl's death Sept. 4 in Millmont.

Rose M. Boyd-Tolver, 40, assaulted Amira Brown in the girl's bedroom at 630 Summit Ave., where the girl was in foster care, city detectives said.

Brown, a seventh-grader at Southwest Middle School, was lying unconscious beside her bed when her foster mother, Barbara Martin, found her after Martin arrived home soon after the beating, police said.

Brown was dead on arrival at Reading Hospital.

Boyd-Tolver of the 700 block of McKnight Street was committed to Berks County Prison without bail following arraignment before District Judge Stuart D. Kennedy on homicide and assault charges.

Officials said Brown died of cardiorespiratory collapse caused by a beating and physical restraint.

The coroner's office ruled the death a homicide.

Boyd-Tolver, who is 5 feet 1 inch tall, sat on the girl, who was 5 feet 3 inches tall, after beating her, police said.

Detectives said Boyd-Tolver was a friend of Martin's and was in the residence watching Brown.

Pennsylvania Mentor, a private foster-care placement agency in Wescosville, Lehigh County, placed Brown with Martin on Jan. 14, officials said.

"The abuse of Amira Brown and her resulting death was a heinous crime," said William Buckley, the agency's state director.

"It is heartbreaking that someone would hurt an innocent girl. All of us at Pennsylvania Mentor feel tremendous grief as a result of Amira's death. We hope the person responsible for Amira's death will be held accountable."

According to court documents, Boyd-Tolver gave three statements to police:

On Sept. 7, Boyd-Tolver told police she beat Brown with a mop handle.

On Nov. 28, she told police that Brown took the mop handle from her during the beating, so she squeezed the girl until the girl fell unconscious on the bed.

On Nov. 29, Boyd-Tolver said she and Brown fell to the floor next to the bed during a struggle and that she sat on Brown.

Brown was prone to physical and verbal outbursts, according to court documents.

Police did not provide details about how the beating or struggle began.

Last week police had said Brown was beaten with a broomstick.