A child's kiss, and a brutal beating

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Baltimore police have arrested two women who, according to charging documents, directed at least a half-dozen children to participate in the near-fatal beating at a party of a 12-year-old Baltimore girl who accepted a kiss from another girl's boyfriend.

Nicole Townes, 12, has been in a coma since Feb. 28, when she was beaten and suffered severe head injuries, police said, after she was kissed on the lips on a dare by a boy at the birthday party, which was held for a 13-year-old at about 7 p.m. in the 5000 block of North Loudoun Avenue.

Monique Baldwin, 35, the mother of the birthday girl and resident of the home where the party took place, and Erin Baldwin, 20, of the 2500 block of West Baltimore Street, are charged with attempted first-degree murder and first- and second-degree assault, among other offenses. According to charging documents, the two directed and participated in the beating. The relationship between the two women is not clear.

Three children also were charged. Their identities have been withheld because they are juveniles.

Court papers say that after the boy kissed Nicole, Monique Baldwin instructed the boy's 14-year-old girlfriend and her 13-year-old daughter to "handle your business." The girls began beating Nicole and her 11-year-old sister, Brenda Bailey.

According to the court papers, Monique Baldwin's daughter "began to punch Nicole in the face, knocking her to the kitchen floor, where she then kicked and stomped on her head several times. Monique Baldwin then ordered the girls to take 'them' into the dining room because they were causing the refrigerator to be moved from the wall."

The children's guardian, Kenya Keene, 25, of the 400 block of Lyndhurst Street, attended the party but left earlier. Miss Keene was charged with second-degree assault, among other things, for an unrelated assault on Brenda earlier the same day.

Police said the three women were arrested Monday after hospital workers deemed that Nicole's injuries were inconsistent with claims made by Monique Baldwin and Erin Baldwin that Nicole fell and hit her head against a wall. An anonymous caller told hospital officials that the girl had been beaten, police say.

Monique Baldwin and Erin Baldwin were ordered held without bail yesterday by a Baltimore District Court judge. Miss Keene was ordered held on $35,000 bail.