Two maintenance workers in Houston called authorities after discovering a nonverbal 2-year-old girl bound with duct tape while repairing a dishwasher. Fort Worth Star Telegram.
The criminal complaint suggests the 2-year-old girl suffered psychological abuse, physical abuse and neglect. She reportedly had a brain hemorrhage due to trauma to her head. The non-verbal infant was also malnourished and had damaged her kidneys.
Doctors who treated the girl said she might not have survived the night if staff had not found her, according to court documents.
fox news digital report Maintenance workers told authorities they showed up at the apartment on Nov. 28 to repair the dishwasher, the statement said. But while they were fixing the machine, they heard a child crying and soon discovered the girl lying on the living room floor with “duct tape wrapped around her legs.”
Officials told authorities that the girl was covered with a blanket, which they removed to find her legs bound. They took photos and videos, left the apartment and reported the situation to police, according to the report.
Three people lived in the apartment, including Tonisha Desha Perkins, the girl's cousin. Kenley Joseph Flukers, Parkin's boyfriend. His and her child's teenage aunt, Mya Jari Brough-McGruder, was arrested and charged with injury to her child and unlawful restraint of a person under 17 years of age.
Perkins' attorney said he plans to plead not guilty. Flukers' attorney did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the case. Breaux-McGruder's attorney, Sally L. Ring, said her 17-year-old client was not properly prosecuted.
Flukers said he never saw the girl with duct tape around her ankles, adding that she only saw duct tape on her hands. She further stated that the girl would not eat even when she was given food, but she often secretly ate her food. Her hands were tied to prevent her from doing so, he added.
Five other children live in the apartment and appear to be in good health. When authorities presented a photo of the 2-year-old girl, Perkins blamed it on the children, saying they often tied each other up.
Two children, 6-year-old twins, were questioned by authorities. Perkins and Flukers tied up the girl because she was “wasting” her food, both men said. According to FOX News Digital, one of the twins pointed out that when the girl tried to remove the duct tape, she was “bounced off,” and that Flukers used his belt to “pull” her. He claimed that.
One of the twins said Perkins told him to “tell anyone who asks about the girl to hug each other.”
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