A 2-year-old girl was not expected to survive after authorities say she suffered catastrophic injuries including a lacerated liver, fractured skull and broken pelvis during a beating allegedly carried out by her mother's boyfriend in Spring, Texas, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Background
The incident began unfolding when Jazmin Cisneros, 28, had custody of her daughter and a 7-year-old child for the summer from their father who lives in Chicago. On Aug. 1, Cisneros noticed the girl's right ear appeared to be sagging. She confronted her boyfriend, Gerardo Gonzalez, 29, who admitted to hitting the girl several times in the head.
When she woke up the next day, the child's head and face were extremely swollen and she had a black eye, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.
Despite witnessing the abuse, Cisneros allegedly did not seek medical attention or contact law enforcement. The affidavit states she told investigators she knew doing so would result in her boyfriend's arrest.
The Investigation
Harris County Sheriff's deputies responded Aug. 6 to a report of a critically injured toddler at a home on the 3100 block of Rendezvous Court in Spring, which lies just north of Houston. Paramedics airlifted the girl to a hospital where she remained in critical condition with bruises covering her entire body.
Doctors determined the child suffered far more severe injuries than initially reported—she had a lacerated liver, broken pelvis and fractured skull, deputies said. Medical personnel do not believe she will survive her injuries.
According to authorities, Gonzalez initially claimed the girl fell in the bathtub and became unconscious. After receiving his Miranda warnings, he allegedly admitted to striking the child four times in the head on Aug. 1 and stomping her five days later—actions that caused the lacerated liver and broken pelvis.
Both Gonzalez and Cisneros were arrested and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. Gonzalez is held on a $1 million bond while Cisneros has a $500,000 bond. They are next set to appear in court Friday.
Key Takeaways
- Gerardo Gonzalez, 29, allegedly admitted to hitting the 2-year-old four times in the head on Aug. 1 and stomping her five days later
- The child suffered a lacerated liver, broken pelvis, fractured skull, bruises all over her body and a black eye
- Doctors do not believe she will survive her injuries
- Jazmin Cisneros allegedly knew about the abuse but refused to seek medical help or contact police because she did not want her boyfriend arrested
- Both suspects are charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury
What's Next
Gonzalez and Cisneros are scheduled to appear in court Friday for their next hearing. At Saturday's probable cause hearing, Harris County Magistrate Judge Temple Ramming addressed the severity of the allegations.
"The reason that you're by yourself here today is that we don't want anybody else to know what you've been charged with because this is the kind of place where if they hear what you're charged with, you can get seriously hurt," the judge said, according to local NBC affiliate KPRC.
"I've seen a lot of bad stuff the last 15 years of practicing criminal law. This is one of the worst. The allegations here are very, very serious and extremely troubling."