What did Patricia Ann Ricks do? Elderly woman charged over eight-year-old granddaughter’s death

72-year-old Patricia Ann Ricks was accused of fatally beating her eight-year-old granddaughter at their Nashville residence. The grandmother was the legal guardian of the deceased child, who now faces charges of felony child abuse and first-degree murder.

The surviving children are currently in the custody of the Nash County Department of Social Services. Authorities announced Patricia Ann Ricks’ arrest on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, a few hours after her granddaughter passed away at the hospital. The same has been confirmed by the sheriff’s office as well.

Several injuries have been found on the young girl’s body that she reportedly sustained after Patricia beat her up. Although the police are yet to confirm a motive in the case, the elderly woman is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Thursday, February 9. However, it couldn’t be confirmed if she has entered a plea or has retained a legal representative.

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Patricia Ann Ricks' eight-year-old granddaughter was reportedly brought in with several severe injuries at the hospital

Authorities were alerted about a minor being beaten up so badly that she had succumbed to her injuries. Around 4 pm on Tuesday, the child was reported to have died upon arrival at North Carolina’s Nash UNC Healthcare in Rocky Mount.

The deceased minor was confirmed as being as young as eight years old. Police further identified the suspect as the victim’s 72-year-old grandmother Patricia Ann Ricks. She was reportedly the legal guardian of the young girl, whose siblings also lived there.

After further investigations, deputies from the Nash County Sheriff’s Office discovered that the young girl, along with her siblings and grandmother, resided in the 5000 block of Dutchman Road in Nashville. Authorities then arrested the 72-year-old Patricia Ann Ricks shortly after the incident.

A statement was soon released by the Nash County Sheriff’s Office, stating:

“Based on the investigation, it was determined that the 8-year-old juvenile was beaten so severely by the grandmother that she died from the injuries. The child had severe injuries throughout her entire body and head.”

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Upon thorough investigation, law enforcement officials recovered weapons at the Nashville residence

Authorities charged Patricia Ann Ricks with first-degree murder and felony child abuse with a serious injury. She was booked into the Nash County Detention Center without bond. However, the cops are yet to discover a motive behind the crime.

News outlets tried reaching Patricia for comment on the alleged incident, but she was reportedly unavailable. Moreover, the police haven’t revealed the identity of the elderly woman’s granddaughter.

Upon arrival at the Nashville residence where the incident allegedly took place, deputies began investigating to find evidence. They found weapons, but it wasn’t revealed if they were used in beating the minor up. Additionally, police didn’t reveal the type of weapons discovered.

Patricia was allegedly the legal guardian of the deceased minor (Image via Twitter/ @KeenanWRAL)

As of now, law enforcement officials are not waiting for the autopsy report to find out more about what happened to the eight-year-old. They are trying to look into the circumstances that could have led to the juvenile’s tragic demise. The case is currently under investigation.