Mother charged with murder after 3-year-old starved to death, police say

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County mother is behind bars, accused of starving her nearly 3-year-old daughter to death.

Police arrested Devin Moon, 29, of Lilburn, on Wednesday night after the medical examiner determined the child was severely underweight and died from malnutrition.

Moon’s own family called the Division of Child and Family Services on her about a year ago. Police say that’s when she stopped communicating with relatives.

“The officers on scene immediately thought she had been starved to death,” Sgt. Jake Smith with the Gwinnett County Police Department said.

Investigators told Channel 2's Wendy Halloran that Moon called 911 and told the dispatcher her daughter, Reygan, was not responding to her and was cold to the touch.

When police got there, the little girl was dead.

Detectives said Moon told them that Reygan was born with medical issues that prevented her from gaining weight.

But at the time, detectives didn't necessarily buy her story.

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“She was emaciated, very, very thin, and she was found to be 14 pounds at almost 3 years old, which is less than half of what she should have been,” Smith told Halloran.

They continued to investigate and determined Moon, a dancer at a club, had prior arrests and left her daughter home alone while she worked.

Authorities confirmed to Halloran that Moon’s family had reported her to DFCS due to concerns about Reygan.

Police said Moon severed ties with her family after that and they hadn’t seen the little girl in almost a year.

The medical examiner determined Reygan died of neglect -- more specifically malnutrition.

Moon was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail on felony murder and first-degree cruelty to children charges.

Halloran called DFCS to find out about its involvement with Moon and was told to put in an open records request. She did and we are waiting for the results of that request.

Cox Media Group