Jamaria Cobb, 20, and her boyfriend, Armand Bright, 52, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in San Bernardino Superior Court to charges stemming from the death of toddler A’mier Doe, who died on July 16. The pair are charged with child abuse resulting in death, child abuse involving Cobb’s other one-year-old child, and first-degree criminal storage of a firearm.
Prosecutors allege the two-year-old found a gun at the family’s home and fatally shot himself. Officers responded to the Highland residence around 5:27 p.m. that day and found the toddler suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to investigators, the child discovered the firearm hidden between couch cushions.
Cobb and Bright are each being held on $250,000 bail. San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson stated that the office is committed to pursuing accountability in cases where unsafe access to firearms leads to loss of life, commending the sheriff's department for its investigation.
A second child, a one-year-old, was found inside the home and was taken into custody by Child and Family Services.
Social media posts attributed to Cobb indicated her strong feelings for her children, with one post stating her boys were her “world.”
A friend of Cobb’s told The California Post that they believe Cobb would not intentionally endanger her children, describing her as a devoted mother.
A study analyzing data from 2003 to 2021 identified firearm use as a leading cause of death for children and teens aged 0 to 17. The study noted that common circumstances involved children or teens playing with or showing off firearms, which were often stored loaded and unlocked.
