Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II, and East Orange Public Safety Director Dominick Saldida announced today that Mr. Tevin Molentiel, 28, and Ms. Tamika Dorsey, 36, both of East Orange, have been charged with multiple child abuse offenses following an investigation by the Special Victims Unit of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officials say the victim, a three-year-old girl, who had been in the care of the defendants at their East Orange home, was hospitalized with multiple severe injuries, including fractures to her knees, arm, and hand.
According to police, the abuse was determined to have been inflicted during the period in which the defendants were caring for the victim.
Both defendants were charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy.
Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Conrad, who is handling the case, said, “Even as Essex County combats the COVID-19 pandemic, law enforcement continues to actively and thoroughly investigate all allegations of child abuse and neglect occurring within our borders.”
The investigation is active and ongoing. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office was assisted in this investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hillside Police Department, and the East Orange Police Department.
These are accusations.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they enter a guilty plea or are found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.