PALM BAY, Fla. – The girlfriend of the father accused in the death of 12-year-old Noah Godleski has been arrested in Connecticut Friday morning for her role in the boy’s death, according to Palm Bay police.
Samarial Dubose, 30, was driven out of state by Jason Godleski, her boyfriend and Noah Godleski’s father, on Oct. 20 — which is two days before the boy’s father went to police to tell them that the 12-year-old had died, records show.
The couple has three children together apart from Noah Godleski, whose biological mother had not been a part of his life for some time, according to police.
Those children were brought to Connecticut with Dubose but were removed from her custody prior to her arrest by that state’s Child Protective Services, according to Palm Bay Police Chief Nelson Moya. Those children are now being cared for by other family members.
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When questioned by police, Dubose told them the 12-year-old was misbehaving on Oct. 17 and was forced into the laundry room of the home, records show. Dubose also said she heard the boy’s father go into the laundry room as well, yelling at Noah Godleski and beating him, investigators said.
“Upon speaking to the female, we also began to discover inconsistencies and irregularities with her statement,” Moya said in a news briefing Thursday. “Our detectives, who were now sent to Connecticut, embarked on a series of interviews not only with her but with the children as well. We made some disturbing findings that we’re still trying to confirm.”
The chief said there is a “likelihood” that Dubose was arrested on allegations of child abuse against Noah Godleski in 2013 and that there was also a possible allegation of child abuse and neglect in Massachusetts in 2018.
“In March of 2020, there’s a confirmed allegation to our (Florida’s) Department of (Children and Families) — a case involving an allegation brought forth by a teacher at one of our local schools that Noah was victim of child abuse at the hands of both the suspect and his girlfriend.”
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The chief said Palm Bay police were never notified about that case and it was later closed out as “unfounded.”
Police said they found the boy’s body still in the laundry room on Oct. 22 with “evidence of trauma.” Investigators also believed the boy had been dead for some time.
Jason Godleski was subsequently arrested on charges of aggravated manslaughter and failure to report a death.
Moya said part of the basis for the probable cause to arrest Dubose came from an intercepted phone call in which someone stated, “We hit him too hard in the face and the back of the head.”
Moya said Thursday that Dubose would face the same charges as Jason Godleski but added those charges could be elevated for both as the investigation continues.
Palm Bay police said Friday would’ve been Noah Godleski’s 13th birthday.
Melinda Powell said she learned of what happened days after her firstborn son passed away.
“The police department came to my house at 3:40 in the morning on Saturday morning and told me an incident happened,” Powell said.
The Bushnell mother said Noah was taken from her after she said she was wrongfully accused of assaulting him.
“I raised him for the first three years of his life,” she said.
Powell said Noah did not deserve the cruelty he suffered.
“I didn’t get to see him, they let him rot in the laundry room for five days so now I don’t even get to have an open casket,” she said.
The family has established this GoFundMe page to help with Noah’s funeral expenses.