The horrific final days of toddler allegedly killed by her mom's boyfriend
Ariana Taylor, 2, was killed Sunday in Gloucester City. Police have charged Michael Disporto, Jr., 22, with murder and sexual assault in relation to her death. The girl's mother, Amber Bobo, 26, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. (Provided by Tawnya Hughes)
CAMDEN ? In nearly 20 years working for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, Christine Shah has prosecuted countless serious crimes.
But even the veteran assistant prosecutor had to take a few moments of pause as she laid out what authorities believe were the final, horrific hours of nearly 2-year-old Ariana Smyth's short life.
Shah outlined the case authorities have so far against Michael Disporto Jr., the 22-year-old Manahawkin man charged with murder and first-degree aggravated sexual assault in Ariana's death, during Disporto's arraignment Friday afternoon.
Ariana's mother, 26-year-old Amber Bobo of Gloucester City, is also charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with her daughter's death, ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma.
Shah referred to Ariana, who's since been identified by family and friends, in court by the initials A.S. and said the girl wasn't even a juvenile child, but still a baby who would have turned two in two weeks.
Shah told Judge John T. Kelley that according to Bobo, she and Disporto ? whom Bobo had been dating for just about two weeks ? picked Ariana up from her father's home in Cape May County on Saturday night at about 6 p.m. and went to Bobo's residence on South King Street in Gloucester City.
There, Disporto took Ariana to a park alone to "get to know her better" and later took the toddler to a field across the street from the residence to watch fireworks, while Bobo stayed home stating she was too tired to go.
When they returned, Bobo put Ariana to bed in the bedroom where the mother and daughter usually slept and then watched TV in the living room with Disporto. Bobo went to bed at about 11 p.m., leaving Disporto to spend the night on the couch. But when Bobo woke up at 7 a.m., Ariana wasn't in the bedroom but instead on the couch, wrapped in a blanket as Disporto smoked a cigarette outside.
When Bobo unwrapped the toddler from the blanket two hours later, she found her daughter was bruised on both sides of her forehead and was wearing a different outfit than the one she was wearing when Bobo put her to bed. Disporto first denied knowledge of the injuries, and then said the toddler must've fallen in the park. He refused Bobo's suggestion to take Ariana to the hospital and instead said to put ice on the bruises and let her sleep.
Bobo only noticed the bruises on Ariana's back and genital area when she went to bathe Ariana at 11 a.m., since Disporto earlier insisted on changing the toddler's diaper.
When confronted about the bruises, Disporto again denied knowledge and convinced Bobo not to seek medical attention for Ariana since he was worried "what people would think," Shah said.
Instead, the pair took Ariana to the Deptford Mall, where they covered her bruises with a hat despite the 80-degree weather. Ariana began to vomit at about noon.
They returned home two hours later to give the toddler, who then vomited again, another bath and change her clothes before they returned to the mall and shopped until 3:30 p.m.
After arriving home again, Bobo noticed her daughter's eyes rolling back in her head. Ariana had vomited a third time and was motionless. Disporto again rebuffed Bobo's attempts to take Ariana to the hospital, stating he was "just tired" and after Bobo insisted, said he would never see Bobo again.
Ariana was unresponsive when EMTs arrived at about 6 p.m. to take her to Cooper University Hospital, where she was found to have bleeding and fluid on her brain, bruising and swelling consistent with sexual assault, a broken arm, bruising and fluid in the lungs and both blood and urine in her abdomen.
She was rushed into brain surgery, but after doctors could not detect any brain activity two separate times on Tuesday, July 5, she was taken off life support and died at 6:26 p.m.
As Shah laid out the timeline of events in court on Friday, Disporto closed his eyes and shook his head throughout Shah's comments. He scoffed and reacted with surprise multiple times throughout the proceeding. He only spoke to confirm his identity and say he couldn't reach his family Friday, but they were attempting to obtain an attorney for him.
Ariana's father and about a dozen friends and family in the courtroom cried and supported each other throughout the proceeding. They requested privacy and declined comment outside the courtroom.
Shah said she'd been contacted by an attorney in Newark who might get involved in the case and notified him of Friday's arraignment, but no attorney for Disporto, who is unemployed, was present in court.
Judge Kelley granted Shah's request bail be set $1.5 million.
Despite Disporto's clean record, Shah said the high bail was necessary because of the seriousness of the crime and the likelihood Disporto would receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole due to state law regarding murder convictions connected to sexual assault.
Bobo remains in Camden County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail cash or bond.
"This case is every parent's worst nightmare, to have a child stolen from their own bed and then victimized by an adult in the most despicable way imaginable," said Shah. "There is no more serious crime than this."
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little angel 
Originally Posted by Lazarus
