A Wiscasset woman has been charged with murder in connection with the death of a 4-year-old girl.

Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland says 43-year-old Shawna Gatto is accused of killing Kendall Chick. The State Medical Examiner's Office says Chick died from a blunt force injury to her abdomen. Police were first alerted to the death when someone called 911 on Friday to report the child was unresponsive.

Gatto is the fiance of Chick's grandfather, 53-year-old Stephen Hood, and the child had been living with the couple for nearly two years. The woman was arrested at her home Thursday evening and taken to the Two Bridges Jail in Wiscasset, charged with murder.

The decision to charge Gatto was made following a meeting between State Police, the Attorney General's Office, and the State Medical Examiner. Also helping with the investigation are the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and Wiscasset Police Department.

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