A mother and her boyfriend in Indiana have been accused of nearly killing her 3-year-old daughter, claiming she sustained her injuries from “sleepwalking” into doorknobs.
Kami Nelson and Lee E. O’Donnell, Jr. have both been charged with one count of neglect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury and one count of neglect resulting in serious bodily injury, according to court records.
Nelson, 23, and O’Donnell, 25, were charged following the incident that took place on Wednesday, March 25. The Star Press reported that police were dispatched to a rental home in New Castle, Indiana, after they received reports of an unresponsive child.
Upon their arrival, first responders found the toddler lying naked on the floor and not breathing. The probable cause affidavit stated that investigators said that the girl was “black and blue and bruised nearly all over her entire naked body and appeared to have been beaten,” per the outlet.
Lifesaving measures were performed on the girl before she was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. The toddler was later airlifted to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, where doctors learned her injuries were much more severe than they initially believed.
Medical staff said that the child was “critically ill” and “in shock” after she suffered severe abdominal trauma, which required her to undergo emergency surgery, according to The Courier-Times.
After she was evaluated, medical staff determined that the girl sustained lacerations and tears to her intestines, internal bleeding and acute kidney injury requiring dialysis.
“The report indicated there were no signs of a medical condition contributing to these nor is there a medical condition that would cause spontaneous injury to the intestines as seen in Juvenile Victim 1,” investigators said in the affidavit.
“Without medical intervention, these findings would likely have been fatal and Juvenile Victim 1 still remains in critical condition with a guarded prognosis. The only accidental history provided at this time by caregivers is that the child sleepwalks, which would not be consistent with these abdominal injuries,” the affidavit continued. “At this time, Juvenile Victim 1’s overall constellation of findings including … diffuse bruising, soft tissue injuries, and abdominal injuries is characteristic of non-accidental/inflicted trauma (child physical abuse).”
Nelson allegedly told police her daughter sustained the injuries when she was sleepwalking and walked “into door handles and similar items.” She also claimed that her daughter had been sick and vomiting for days leading up to the incident, and she said she put off seeking medical care because she didn’t have insurance.
However, O’Donnell reportedly gave a drastically different account of the incident while speaking to detectives.
O’Donnell, who was watching Nelson’s child as she worked, told investigators the mother is a “manipulative liar” with a volatile temper. He also claimed that she would become physical with the child “once a day, multiple times a day sometimes,” as well as claimed that he witnessed her strike the child and grab her face while she was eating.
He also reportedly told investigators that he was reluctant to report the alleged abuse because he didn’t “want to end up homeless.”
Nelson initially denied O’Donnell could have caused the injuries, though later changed her stance and told police she believed he may have been responsible.
Both Nelson and O’Donnell ultimately blamed one another for the child’s condition, according to authorities.
In addition to learning of the alleged abuse, police also found drug paraphernalia and a second young child staying at the rental residence at the time of the incident.
O’Donnell was arrested after he allegedly failed to appear for a scheduled polygraph test on Friday, March 27. Meanwhile, Nelson was arrested the same day that the child’s condition was learned.
Both Nelson and O’Donnell are being held in the Henry County Jail on $191,000 surety bonds. They will next appear in court for pretrial hearings on June 11.
It is not currently clear if Nelson and O’Donnell have entered pleas. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
Read the full article here
