Family, friends remember toddler
Davis
JAKE PARRISH/Hagadone News Network Antonio Wilburn and Dacia Cheyney, parents of Maliki Wilburn, embrace in front of more than 125 people Monday evening at Crowley Park in Spokane as they mourn the death of their 17-month-old boy.
JAKE PARRISH/PressDacia Cheyney and Antonio Wilburn, parents of Maliki Wilburn, hug Maliki's cousin Leticia Hewitt, 6, during a candlelight vigil for Maliki on Monday evening at Crowley Park in Spokane.
JAKE PARRISH/PressBronwyn Jackson paints "R.I.P Maliki" on the rear window of a pickup truck Monday evening at the Love's Travel Stop in Post Falls.
JAKE PARRISH/PressRay Cropper fastens a Maliki Wilburn memorium sticker to the rear window of Cropper's car on Monday at the Love's Travel Stop in Post Falls. More than 25 people gathered at the gas station before driving together to a candlelight vigil for the 17-month-old at Crowley Park in Spokane.
JAKE PARRISH/PressPeople sign goodbye wishes to Maliki Wilburn before a candlelight vigil for the 17-month-old boy Monday evening at Crowley Park in Spokane.
JAKE PARRISH/PressJesse Paschane, right, lights candles with his friends in memory of 17-month-old Maliki Wilburn on Monday at Crowley Park in Spokane.
Maliki Wilburn brought smiles to the faces of everybody around him.
Family and friends gathered at a vigil at Crowley Park in downtown Spokane on Monday night to pay respects to the 17-month-old who was pronounced medically dead earlier in the day after suffering serious head trauma on Friday in Coeur d’Alene.
"That kid brought joy to everybody," said Lane Fletcher, a friend of Antonio Wilburn and Dacia Cheyney, Maliki's parents. "He was always a cheerful kid. If I was in the worst mood ever, he'd still make me happy."
Fletcher, of Sandpoint, was among about 25 friends in a dozen or so vehicles who cruised from the Love's Truck Stop in Post Falls to the vigil in Spokane.
Cheyney wrote a Facebook status Monday morning: “Maliki will not be coming home. Everybody needs to come and say goodbye to him today.”
At 3:30 p.m. she posted again: “Our precious baby boy has gone. He has been pronounced medically dead.”
Antonio Wilburn, the child’s father, said medical professionals at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane declared Maliki 100 percent brain-dead. The family will decide today when to take him off life support.
The child’s stepfather, Joseph John Davis, 31, was charged Monday with injuring Maliki, but that charge will likely be amended.
“We will be evaluating a different charge based on the death of the child,” said Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh.
Davis’ bond was set at $1 million.
Wilburn told The Press his ex-wife, Cheyney, called him Friday to tell him their child was seriously injured.
He said Cheyney told him she left Maliki at home with Davis for about 20 minutes when she went to get groceries. According to Wilburn, when Cheyney came back, she saw her child on the floor and knew something was wrong.
“The f****r had him covered up with a blanket like he was asleep,” Wilburn said. “He told her something like he slipped and he didn’t know what happened.”
No more information was available from the police investigation Monday night. The investigation is still active.
Fletcher said his heart aches for Wilburn, who works at Tire Rama in Post Falls, and Cheyney, who works at Pacifica Senior Living in Coeur d'Alene.
"Dacia and Antonio are lovable parents," he said. "They are hard-working and caring, and they made sure Maliki had everything he needed. We want to show our support so they realize the impact they've had. Every time I went around that kid would always smile. Seeing Maliki on life support killed me. It disgusts me that anybody could do something to him."
Lizzie Wuest, who works with Cheyney, said she wanted to attend the vigil to show her support.
"It was heartbreaking to hear what happened," Wuest said. "We're hoping for the best for the family."
Coeur d'Alene's Devon Houston said he's pleased the police acted swiftly with the arrest so the long healing process can begin.
"My heart goes out to them," he said. "I don't know if I could deal with what they are going through. I hope the community shows support and I hope that justice is served sooner rather than later."
Hagadone News Network staff writer Brian Walker contributed to this report.