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Babysitter arrested more than a year after death of 7-year-old Avondale girl

Sharesse Lattimore was hit by a car in March 2021
Sharesse Lattimore
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CINCINNATI — A babysitter accused of causing the death of a 7-year-old girl in March 2021 was booked at the Hamilton County Justice Center Thursday.

Mesha Smith, also known as Mesha Williams, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and two counts of endangering children in June 2021 after two 7-year-olds were struck by a car in Avondale. Both were rushed to the hospital, but one child, Sharesse Lattimore, died of her injuries.

Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Amy Clausing said Smith was watching two girls when she crossed a busy part of Vine Street to get to her car, leaving the children unsupervised for over a minute. The two kids were hit by a car when they tried to get to Smith. According to investigators, the pair didn’t use a crosswalk and ran into the path of a teenage driver. The driver hasn't been charged.

According to court documents, Smith was arrested in Detroit Wednesday and extradited back to Ohio. She will be in court for the first time Friday morning.

The community responded to the tragedy by dedicating a new crosswalk to Lattimore. "ReRe's Crossing" was installed on Vine Street near Ehramn Avenue, the location where Lattimore lost her life, in late June 2021.

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