Mount Vernon Mom Charged after 5-year-old Died of Self-Inflicted Gunshot

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Tantania Manners of Mount Vernon has been charged with a misdemeanor connected to the death of her 5-year-old daughter.

Manners, 24 was arraigned Thursday and charged with one count of Endangering the Welfare of A Child, a class “A” Misdemeanor, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced.

Manners was taken into custody Wednesday night by detectives from the City of Yonkers Police Department. Her arrest came as a result of the investigation into the May 25, 2015 shooting death of her 5-year-old daughter Makayla at their family apartment on Walnut Street in Yonkers.

Manners was charged under the theory of creating an unsafe environment for her daughter by allowing sales and usage of narcotics in the home as well as permitting illegal, unsecured, loaded firearms to be loaded and stored in the apartment.

Makayla is believed to have located one of the firearms; she shot herself once in the face, killing herself.

Her mother was held on $5,000 bail. Her next court date is April 19 in Yonkers City Court.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Heide Mason of the Superior Court Trial Division and Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Adimari of the Yonkers City Court Bureau.