Mother in jail on sex charges

A Ridgeland mother has been arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery against her own children, one of whom has since died.

Dacoda Amber Ray, 34, was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual battery, police said.

Ridgeland Police Lt. Brian Myers said that she was initially arrested for disturbing the peace in relation to an incident at her grandparents’ home in Ridgeland on Aug. 13.

Myers said that Ray was then picked up by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department from RPD custody in order to serve the capias, an Indictment warrant for the sexual battery charges filed in Circuit Court on Aug. 5.

Ray is currently being held at the Madison County Detention Center. 

According to the indictment, Ray is alleged to have committed sexual acts on her two sons between Aug. 1, 2017 and June 1, 2018. The children were between the ages of 6 and 9 at the time of the alleged interactions.

Ray’s youngest son, Drake, died in 2019 by asphyxiation, allegedly choking to death on popcorn.

However, law enforcement officials say the death is currently under investigation.  

She had an arraignment hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 19.