Paterson Couple Charged With Murder In Toddler’s Death
Saturday, August 30, 2025, 12:30 P.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
PATERSON, NJ.- A 21-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man, both of Paterson, New Jersey, will remain detained pending trial after being formally indicted earlier this month, on charges in connection with the death of a four-year-old girl that occurred in May 2025, in the City of Paterson, New Jersey.
According to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, a Passaic County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Ashanti Givens, 21, of Paterson, New Jersey, with one count of first-degree Murder; two counts of second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child; and Hindering Apprehension. The indictment additionally charges Givenchy Stewart, 21, also of Paterson, New Jersey, with second-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child; and third-degree Hindering Apprehension.
The indictment is the result of an investigation that began on May 6, 2025, when, around 8:45 p.m., members of the Paterson Police Department responded to a 911 Emergency Call reporting an unresponsive 4-year-old girl inside a residence in the area of Pearl and Carroll Streets in the City of Paterson. Upon arrival, Police Officers found the child, who was subsequently transported to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where, despite life-saving efforts, the child was pronounced deceased just minutes after 9:30 p.m.
Police Determine The Child Had Been Left Unattended
During the initial investigation, Responding Police Officers and Detectives determined that Stewart, the child’s biological father, and his girlfriend, Givens, had left the toddler unattended in an apartment in the City of Paterson for significant periods of time on May 5, 2025, into May 6, 2025. On May 12, 2025, Detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested both Givens and Stewart, charging them each with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree hindering apprehension.
Detectives Determine That Givens Caused The Death Of The Child
During the ensuing investigation, the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office performed a post-mortem examination on the child’s remains and determined the Cause of Death to be blunt force trauma and the Manner of Death to be Homicide. Based on the investigation by the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit, Detectives determined that Givens was responsible for the child’s death, and she was additionally charged with the count of murder and an additional count of child endangerment.
Givens And Stewart Will Remain Detained Pending Trial
Passaic County Superior Court Judge Scott T. Rumana has ordered Givens and Stewart to remain detained pending trial. Givens and Stewart have been scheduled to be arraigned on the charges filed in the indictment before Superior Court Judge Marybel Mercado-Ramirez on September 8, 2025.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office urges anyone with additional information regarding this incident or other incidents involving Givens or Stewart to contact the Prosecutor’s Office Tips Line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org. All calls and information will be kept confidential.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”
