Missing Ohio girl found dead in restaurant, parents charged

Police have charged the parents of a missing 5-year-old Ohio girl after the child’s body was found in the family’s restaurant.

Jackson Township Police say the body of Ashley Zhao was found hidden at Ang’s Asian Cuisine in North Canton on Tuesday.

North Canton is about 80 kilometers south of Cleveland.

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Zhao’s mother, Mingming Chen, has been charged with murder. Liang Zhao, the girl’s father, was charged with complicity to murder and complicity to commit felonious assault.

The couple initially reported that Zhao went missing after taking a nap at the back of the restaurant on Monday evening.

But police say Chen struck the child several times with her fist on Monday morning and the injuries she sustained resulted in her death.

Earlier this week, a search of a wooded area near the restaurant failed to find any trace of the child.

Court records don’t list attorney information for Chen and Zhao.

With files from Global News