The mom, later identified as 27-year-old Miranda, reportedly took her baby, Ares, to the hospitaI and told the hospitaI staff that she found the boy unconscious in his crib.
But, unfortunately, doctors discovered that the toddler was malnourished and under-cared for. The boy also had fractures to his skull, chronic bleeding on his brain, and bruising on the cartilage of both ears.
In addition to his skull, he had a total of six other fractures, including to his tibia, fibia, and clavicle. His injuries are believed to have happened over a period of time.
The doctors called the police and the responding investigators found bruises on the boy and red spots on his face. As an investigation was underway, the boy succumbed to the significant brain injuries he had sustained, dying two days after he was first taken to the hospital. During an interview with investigators, the mother reportedly said that her son fell out of his crib while she was sleeping. The mother also said she didn’t know how he was hurt. Although another couple and their two young children lived in the apartment the woman shared her boyfriend, she told authorities she was the baby’s only caretaker.
The child’s father, Brandon, was serving time in a corrections facility. The mother’s two other children were living with her parents when the injuries occurred. So, authorities turned their focus to the mother. Searching her apartment, investigators discovered the baby’s room smelled like vomit. A sippy cup with rotten milk and blood on a pillow were found in his crib, as well as marijuana pipes in multiple rooms of the home. But, the mother denied hurting her son, telling police the boy seemed normal and didn’t have any bruises when she woke up at about 7 a.m. the day he was taken to the hospital. According to the mother, she and the baby had rested on a mattress in the living room until noon that day. When he fell asleep, she said she moved him to his crib. The mother, pregnant with another child, told police she slept the rest of the day. When she woke at 5 p.m., she said she went to check on her son and found he wasn’t moving.
Miranda took her unconscious toddler to the hospital. There, doctors discovered his horrendous injuries, painting a much different picture of what the child endured than what the mother alleged. A doctor told police that the boy had what’s called “black brain,” a head injury caused by shaking. Investigators looked at the mom’s phone and discovered photos of the 18-month-old baby that shed some light into his life at home. A picture on the mother’s cellphone showed the baby with the words “thug life” scribbled in black Sharpie across his tiny stomach while a fake tattoo and the word “loco” could be seen on his forehead. In others, he appears to be asleep or unconscious on the floor. Prosecutors said that the pictures were a clear indication of how the boy was treated at home. Although it was unclear when the pictures were taken or whether they were connected to his injuries. Miranda was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of child abuse for not tending to Ares’ various injuries.
