Inset: Sarai Brooks. Background: The Washington state apartment where Sarai Brooks died after being abused by her mom's boyfriend (KING).
A Washington state toddler showed up at day care with black eyes and other injuries, including bite and burn marks, that were "indicative of repeated, prolonged abuse" that her mom's boyfriend was unleashing upon her — but the workers did not report it as required by law, a local jury ruled this week. The child later died from the abuse.
"The most painful part of this case is how profoundly preventable it was," civil attorney Ray Dearie said about Sarai Brooks' 2022 death at the hands of her mother's boyfriend, Augustino Maile, who is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence.
Maile and the mother, Jharmaine Baker, were both charged in connection with the 2-year-old's abuse and slaying. Maile pleaded guilty in June 2023 to manslaughter and second-degree assault of a child — for also abusing Sarai's two brothers — while Baker pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal mistreatment and second-degree assault of a child.
Sarai's estate filed a lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and Love and Laughter Learning Centers in December 2024, claiming the agencies and a Puyallup day care that Sarai attended "ignored clear warning signs of abuse and failed to take basic steps that would have saved Sarai's life," according to a press release sent out by the Dearie Law Group.
A Pierce County jury returned a $130 million verdict this week following a five-week trial, finding that "systemic failures" across both the child welfare system and the day care directly contributed to Sarai's death. "The jury apportioned liability between the State of Washington and the day care center," the Dearie press release says.
Her estate's complaint, which was obtained by Law&Crime, says employees at the School Kids Clubhouse day care that Sarai attended "did not report" her injuries to law enforcement, despite being "mandatory reporters under Washington law."
"All it took to save this child's life was for one person to do their job: a call to a social worker, a report from a mandated reporter, or any attempt at follow-up by the state. Any one of those actions could have saved Sarai's life," Dearie blasted.
After he pleaded guilty to killing Sarai and abusing her brothers, Maile claimed at his sentencing that Sarai's death was an accident. The judge overseeing his case called it "torture," according to The News Tribune.
"If I could give you more time, I would," Pierce County Superior Court Judge Angelica Williams told Maile during the sentencing.
Prosecutors said Maile's abuse included biting the children repeatedly to the point where marks were left on their bodies; burning them; breaking their bones; and beating them. The autopsy performed on Sarai found bruises on her face, arms, thigh, hands, buttocks, feet, and behind her ears. She also had a possible hemorrhage on her spinal cord, according to the Tribune.
"In or about April 2021, Seattle Children's Hospital employees, agents, or ostensible agents informed DCYF that Sarai J. Brooks had scars, burn marks, bite marks, and other injuries that were consistent with non-accidental injuries," her estate's legal complaint says. "Baker had been in a relationship and/or living with Augustino Maile for approximately two and a half years, and that Jharmaine Baker was allowing Augustino Maile to regularly abuse Sarai."
Pierce County authorities were called to the couple's home on March 11, 2022, where they found Sarai with "blue lips" and unconscious. She was foaming from her mouth and "bloody paper towels, bloody bed sheets, and fecal and urine-stained bedding were found at the scene," per the complaint.
An investigation was conducted and law enforcement learned that a restraining order had been issued in 2021 barring Maile from having contact with Baker's children, including Sarai. "Pierce County law enforcement conducted an investigation and found, among other things, that Augustino Maile had consistently been violating the restraining order … based on evidence easily gathered at the scene," the complaint says.
The Pierce County medical examiner determined that Sarai's injuries "were indicative of repeated, prolonged abuse" and concluded that her cause of death was blunt force trauma to her head, per the complaint.
Maile was originally charged with homicide by abuse and two counts of second-degree murder, but those charges were dismissed and reduced to manslaughter as part of the plea deal he received. Sarai's father, Jalen Brooks, spoke at Maile's sentencing.
"She was 2 years old," Brooks exclaimed, before standing in silence for nearly a minute before the judge. "I just don't know what makes a person, a grown man at that, beat a 2 year old. Still trying to figure that out."
The civil verdict handed down this week is the "largest of its type in Washington state history," according to the Dearie Law Group.
"This verdict gives Sarai a voice," Dearie said. "Sarai did not have a voice while this was happening to her. This jury made sure she has one now and made clear that when institutions fail children like this, there must be accountability."