Zayla Rank. Photo from Go FundMe. https://www.gofundme.com/kayla-needs-%20a-burial-3-years-old
A candlelight vigil and march will be held next week in Riverside to remember 3-year-old Zalya Rank whose reportedly mentally ill mother is accused of beating her to death, it was reported Sunday.
The Riverside Press-Enterprise reported that the vigil will go from 6- 9 p.m. Feb. 13, and start at the north end of the Galleria at Tyler Mall. It will then march three blocks — on Magnolia Avenue, Hole Avenue and County Circle Drive — and end with a vigil outside of the Riverside County Mental health office.
Susan Marie Rank, 30, faces felony charges for beating her 3-year-old daughter to death in the backyard of a Highgrove home. Her family told the Press-Enterprise she has mental illness stemming from a congenital brain tumor.
Rank lives in San Bernardino, and was arrested Jan. 26 at a sober living house in Riverside for suspicion of murder, following a Riverside County sheriff’s investigation into the death of her daughter.
Rank was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Wally Clear, deputies were summoned to the sober living community residence in the 3000 block of Cannes Avenue, just north of Interstate 215, shortly before 7 a.m. to investigate reports of a child down.
“Upon arrival, deputies located a child with obvious signs of trauma. The child was pronounced dead at the scene,” Clear said.
Five people were questioned at the location, and Rank was arrested without incident.
According to Lori Wood, the suspect’s mother, Susan Rank had repeatedly sought help treating her disorder, but she was “shoved out the door” of mental health facilities without any resolution.
Wood described Zayla as the “sweetest little baby” and said she had every intention of trying to gain custody of the girl.
The family is seeking donations that can be applied to funeral costs, as they have no means of paying for a burial.
A GoFundMe campaign was started within a couple of hours of Zayla’s death. Over $3,500 has been raised as of Jan. 30. The goal is $10,000. The page is at www.gofundme.com/kayla-needs-a-burial-3-years-old .
According to court records, Rank, also known as Susan Marie Parizek, has a prior conviction for felony evading in connection with a January 2016 confrontation with Riverside police. She also has a 2013 misdemeanor conviction for driving under the influence.
–City News Service
>> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here!