Zayla Rank, like most children, loved her mother and enjoyed spending time with her, but according to family members, little Zayla, 3, lost her life Friday at the hands of the woman she loved.

The body of Zayla was found around 6:45 a.m. in the backyard of a home in the 3400 block of Cannes Avenue in Highgrove — a community between Riverside and Grand Terrace, family and neighbors said.

Riverside County sheriff’s authorities confirmed the death but cited the ongoing death investigation in being unable to confirm the child’s age or exactly where she was found.

A sheriff’s statement said deputies “responded to a possible child death at a residence” and found “a child with obvious signs of trauma,” who was pronounced dead at the scene. Further details on the cause of death have not yet been made public.

Zayla’s great-aunt, Tracylyn Sharrit, said Zayla’s mother, whom the family identified as Susan Rank, had mental health issues and had sought help several times in the last month only to be turned away.

“She’s been asking for mental health help,” she said.

Late Friday, the Sheriff’s Department said Rank, 30, had been arrested and booked on suspicion of murder.

Ray Smith, a Riverside County spokesman, said of mental health issues “that because this is an active criminal investigation, the county is unable to respond and must defer to law enforcement.”

Sharrit said the mother and daughter lived in a sober living home in Highgrove when the fatal attack took place.

Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and investigators examine the scene outside where a young child was killed on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018, in Highgrove. (Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Riverside County Sheriff investigators are on the scene outside a home, in back, where a young child was killed on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018 in Highgrove. (Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Sheriff’s deputies have responded to a home in the Highgrove area and a woman has been detained. Photo by Beatriz E. Valenzuela, Staff

Family members say Susan Rank, right, killed her daughter, Zayla. Family members say Susan has a history of mental illness. No one had been arrested in the case Friday afternoon. Courtesy of Tracylyn Sharrit



“I wanted to let people know that mental illness killed this child,” Sharrit said

Investigators couldn’t immediately confirm if Rank had a history of mental illness.

However, Riverside County sheriff’s Deputy Mike Vasquez on Friday did say that all avenues were being investigated to try to get to the root cause of the fatality.

Sheriff’s homicide detectives ask that anyone who may have information to call 951-955-2400.

“She was a child, she was a beautiful little girl,” said a tearful and distraught Sharrit, adding that the mental health system is broken. “Zayla is collateral damage because of this. She’s collateral damage of mental illness.”

Sharrit said the mother and daughter loved each other and kept in touch with family regularly.

“I wish I could say how hard it is to get someone with mental illness past the door of a mental health facility,” she said.

The family started a GoFundMe account to help raise money to bury Zayla, Sharrit said. To donate, visit gofundme.com and search “Zayla needs a burial.”

During the initial stages of the investigation Friday, neighbors in the Highgrove neighborhood peeked through drawn curtains as deputies gathered evidence.

As neighbors began to come outside, they said they were taken aback at the news that a child was killed so near their homes.

Lori Pulliam, who has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years, said there have never been any issues with the women at the home.

“They’d walk by everyday, three or four of them, and we’d say, ‘Hi.’ No problems with them.”

“I’ve seen the girls who used to live there walk up and down the street,” Pulliam said. “This is a shock.”

She said she was amazed at how young the victim was.

“I can’t believe that,” she said. “Three years old. That’s my granddaughter’s age. It’s crazy.”

Staff writer Jim Steinberg contributed to this report.