Woman takes plea in beating death of 5-year-old son in Iowa

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A woman has taken a plea deal on charges stemming from the beating death of her 5-year-old son in Iowa.

Jacqueline Rambert pleaded guilty Friday to child endangerment resulting in death and child endangerment-multiple acts, station KWQC reported. Prosecutors agreed to drop a murder charge in return for her pleas.

Rambert agreed to testify against her co-defendant and former boyfriend, Tre Henderson, at his trial, which is scheduled to begin Feb. 3.

Court documents said Henderson assaulted Ja’Shawn Bussell in April 2018, causing head and other injuries that resulted in the boy vomiting several times over a four-day period. The child was taken to a Davenport hospital and then flown to an Iowa City hospital, where he died after being taken off life support.

Rambert and Henderson are both from Chicago but were living in a Davenport apartment when the boy was assaulted, authorities have said.