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Three Women Charged After 2-Month-Old Critically Injured by Older Children in Texas

Officials say the case reveals alleged caregiver abandonment and filthy housing conditions, prompting a multi-agency probe.

Overview

  • Hospital staff and Child Protective Services notified police on June 18 after the 2-month-old was brought to a Tyler hospital with head trauma, police said.
  • Smith County authorities have arrested Shelby Munoz, 18, Sidney Whitt, 21, and Jacqulun Morales, 29, on charges of child endangerment and injury to a child with high bonds reported.
  • Investigators say the 6- and 4-year-old children tossed and stomped on the infant, who suffered a brain bleed and seizures, was placed in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator, and was flown to Dallas for specialist care.
  • Officials reported the mothers left the children locked in a bedroom while they went to a hotel to drink and use drugs, and the young caregiver allegedly told detectives she did not intervene because the children 'were not hers'; investigators also found the home infested with flies, without air conditioning, and littered with rat feces, diapers, and clothing.
  • Child Protective Services and the sheriff’s office continue to investigate the case, which could lead to criminal trials and further child-welfare actions as authorities review how the children were supervised and placed after the incident.