Two Texas parents are charged with child endangerment after doctors reported a three-month-old baby suffered multiple broken bones and significant weight loss. An investigation also led to the discovery that the infant’s two-year-old sibling tested positive to methamphetamine.
The alleged abuse of the children in Lubbock, Texas, came to light after the children’s mother, 25-year-old Alexzandria Sellers, brought her three-month-old infant to the Covenant Women’s and Children’s Emergency Room for “leg swelling,” KCBD NBC11 reported. Doctors examined the baby and found a fractured femur. Doctors also found an older fracture of the left clavicle that was not healing, and a distal femur fracture, court documents published by the local NBC affiliate revealed.
Doctors also reported the infant lost about a half-pound from a weigh-in two weeks earlier. Doctors at the hospital reported the incidents to Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) investigators as “intentional trauma.”
Reports indicate the child was born prematurely at 26 weeks on April 11. Doctors did not release the infant from their care until June 11. DFPS investigators said the child “looked severely underweight and “you could visibly see her ribs and bones.”
Investigators spoke with the child’s father, 29-year-old Oscar Gonzales, who said he put the baby’s legs “Indian style” on the bed. He did not provide an explanation as to why he did this. He then allegedly told investigators the mother, Sellers, told him to lie about what happened to the baby.
Sellers continued to say for several days she did not know what happened to the baby. She finally told investigators that Gonzales admitted he placed the baby’s arms behind her and photographed her with her arms pinned behind her back, and behind/above her head, KCBD reported. She added that Gonzales admitted to photographing the alleged abuse.
Investigators obtained a warrant and searched Gonzales’ phone where they found multiple pictures documenting the alleged abuse. Those include images of the baby’s arms behind her taken on July 4, a July 10 photo that showed the infant’s legs being different in color, and a June 24 photo of a bloody diaper.
DFPS investigators report the infant’s two-year-old brother tested positive for methamphetamine.
DFPS place both children under their emergency custody, KCBD reported. They placed the brother with foster parents while the infant remains in the hospital awaiting surgery for her injuries.
U.S. Marshals Service deputies placed both parents under arrest on July 29, the article states. The couple was booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center where they face charges of child endangerment and injury to a child.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.