more vile scum
Infant's injuries nearly 'head to toe,' police say
Both parents are charged with injury to a child as 6-month-old girl fights for her life
By PEGGY O'HARE and ANDREW TILGHMAN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
The 6-month-old girl fighting for her life after being severely abused, both physically and sexually, was covered from "head to toe" with brutal injuries, police said Friday.
The parents, Ivan Castaneda, 22, and Donna Marie Norman, 19, are each charged with injury to a child and are being held without bond. Charges may be upgraded to capital murder if the infant dies, police said.
She remains in Texas Children's Hospital's intensive care unit and is breathing on her own, but is still suffering from internal bleeding, and doctors are not sure if she will survive. The baby was penetrated or raped vaginally and anally, and her tongue was nearly severed, police said. Investigators aren't sure how her tongue was cut so severely because she doesn't have teeth.
Baby, sister in foster care
The infant also had skull fractures, brain contusions and hemorrhaging, as well as injuries to her liver, lungs and kidneys, said Houston Police Department Sgt. Randy Upton. "In this case, the trauma was nearly head to toe," he said.
Police are investigating how the wounds occurred, but criminal complaints accuse the parents of striking the baby with an unknown object.
