Tulare mother and friend arrested for alleged torture and death of 2-year-old girl

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Tulare mother and her friend have been arrested on charges of homicide, torture and child injury for the death of the woman's two-year-old daughter.

On Thursday morning, the Tulare Police Department received a 911 call for an unresponsive two-year-old girl who was being taken to a local hospital by her mother.

Medical staff tried to save the girl, but she died.

When police arrived at the hospital, they made contact with the mother, 27-year-old Priscilla Roshell.

Detectives say they found through their investigation that the girl was severely injured and that two more children were unaccounted for at the time.

The other children were found with Roshell's friend, 46-year-old Michael Francis.

After conducting interviews with everyone involved, police arrested Roshell and Francis in connection to the death of the girl.

Tulare police have not released the cause of death due to a pending autopsy.

Roshell and Francis were booked into South County Detention Facility in Porterville.

A news conference will be held at 2:30 pm Friday. Check back for updates.

Stay with ABC30 for the latest details on this developing story.