October 7, 2020 - Charges have been filed against a man and woman arrested in the death of a child reported missing at 10630 Beechnut Street about 9:30 a.m. on August 22.

The suspects, Sahara Ervin (b/f, 20) and Travion Thompson (b/m, 21) are both charged with injury to a child with serious bodily injury and tampering with evidence (human corpse) in the 209th State District Court.  Both are accused in the death of two-year old Maliyah Rosalie Bass.  

Photos of both suspects are attached to this news release.

HPD Homicide Division A. Henderson and E. Rossow reported:

HPD patrol officers responded to a report of a missing child (Maliyah Bass) at an apartment complex at the above address.  Witnesses stated the child had been left unattended while playing on the playground area near her apartment.  Ervin, Maliyah's mother, stated when she returned after five minutes, Maliyah was no longer there.  Officers searched the area, but the child was not located.  

Officers with the HPD Missing Persons Division responded to the scene, as well as Texas EquuSearch, and an AMBER Alert was issued for Maliyah.  

On August 23, at about 10:30 a.m., a female jogger discovered a child's body in a southeast Houston bayou near 5200 Carrolton.  HPD patrol officers responded to the scene, as well as Houston Fire Department personnel and the child's body was recovered from the bayou.  The child was pronounced deceased at the scene and was subsequently identified as the missing juvenile, Maliyah Bass.

On Monday (Oct. 5), suspects Ervin and Thompson (Ervin's boyfriend) were questioned by HPD Homicide Division investigators after evidence of their involvement in the disappearance of Maliyah was discovered.  On Tuesday (Oct. 6), Ervin and Thompson were subsequently charged for their roles in Maliyah's disappearance and death.