Story by Ethan
On August 26th, 2025, the arrest of Ashanti Givens and Givenchy Stewart, both 21 years old, were announced by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes. Ashanti Givens was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree hindering apprehension. Givenchy Stewart was charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child and third-degree hindering. The arrest and charges against Ashanti Givens and Givenchy Stewarts were a result of an investigation launched by the Paterson Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit.
According to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, at approximately 8:45 p.m. on May 6th, 2025, reports were made to the Paterson Police Department about an unresponsive 4-year-old child in the area of Pearl Street and Carroll Street in Paterson, New Jersey. Responding officers located the unconscious child and transported them to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey, where they were unfortunately pronounced dead at 9:33 p.m. Detectives identified Givenchy Stewart as the child’s biological father, and Ashanti Givens as Givenchy Stewart’s girlfriend. An investigation revealed that the child was left unattended in a Paterson apartment for significant periods of time on May 5th and May 6th, 2025. Detectives allege that Ashanti Givens was responsible for the child’s death through blunt force trauma inflicted on them, deeming the child’s death to be a homicide.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against Ashanit Givens and Givenchy Stewart are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
