7 days ago
Man and woman arrested on suspicion of murdering toddler, one, who was rushed to hospital with 'serious injuries'
A man and woman have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 17-month-old toddler on the Isle of Wight.
Jayla-Jean McLaren was taken to hospital on the morning of August 1 after suffering serious injuries, and tragically died around 48 hours later.
Prior to her death, a 31-year-old man and 27-year-old woman, both from Newport on the island, had been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but were released on conditional bail pending further inquiries.
Hampshire Police today confirmed that the pair had been re-arrested on suspicion of murder and that they remain in custody.
'We know this case has caused considerable distress within the community and our thoughts remain with those affected by Jayla-Jean's death', said Detective Superintendent Rod Kenny.
'The arrests made today are just one part of a much wider set of enquiries in our investigation to establish exactly what happened to Jayla-Jean, and those enquiries remain ongoing.
'We would like to reiterate that you should not speculate on this case, particularly on social media, as this could affect our investigation.'
Jayla-Jean's heartbroken parents, Jay and Shay McLaren, led around 70 mourners at the vigil for their 'princess' on August 7.
People gathered to leave flowers, balloons, teddies and photographs under a tree in a Church Litten Park following Jayla-Jean's tragic death.
The vigil was organised by Mrs and Mr McLaren, as well as Jayla-Jean's paternal grandmother Lesley Chiverton, and saw people gather en-masse to leave tributes under a tree with pink leaves.
Mrs McLaren had used social media to call on people to 'make Newport pink for our beautiful little girl who gained her wings on Sunday' and asked people to 'make this a massive memorable place for her'.
Mrs McLaren also said her daughter's 'tiny life' had been 'cruelly snatched away from her'.
Paying tribute, Mrs McLaren said in a statement: 'Mummy and daddy and nanny will always love you. Fly high, princess.'
