A 29-year-old woman was arrested and charged with child abuse on Aug. 17 by the Visalia Police Department. She’d been the foster mother to the 18-month-old victim and several other children at the time of her arrest.
Police had originally been called to the Visalia home that the woman shared with her male companion on Sunday, Aug. 12. The caller had told dispatchers that a child at the home was unresponsive. The child was first rushed to the Kaweah Delta Medical Center before eventually being transported to Valley Children’s Hospital for more dedicated care.
When questioned about what led to the child becoming unresponsive, the foster mother reportedly told police that the child had simply fallen. How such a fall could cause the fractures or brain damage didn’t make sense to detectives or those working on the child abuse team at the hospital though. They ultimately concluded that the injuries were far from accidental.
After interviewing the other children in the home, the foster dad and the suspect once again on the morning of Friday, Aug. 17, the detectives decided to go ahead and move forward in arresting the foster mother.
Police have said that they don’t suspect that the foster dad had anything to do with the incident. Child Welfare Services still removed the other children from the home as a precautionary measure, though.
As for the foster mom, she’s being held on a $500,000 bail at the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility. It’s unclear when her next hearing in the matter may be scheduled for.
In situations in which an individual is charged with a criminal offense such as child abuse, a defendant will want to have an attorney representing them that can provide skilled defense against any charge. When stakes are high, you’ll want an experienced Visalia criminal defense attorney who has a record of success in getting results for clients including not guilty verdicts or case dismissals handling your case.
