Court Docs: Woman severely beat child, causing major brain injuries
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The details of this story are graphic and may be upsetting to some readers. Discretion is advised.
IDAHO FALLS — A young child was rushed into surgery with brain injuries after he was allegedly severely beaten by a woman caring for him at the time.
Lorena Ocampo-Garcia, 24, of Idaho Falls, is charged with aggravated battery and use of deadly weapon in the commission of a felony in relation to the beating.
Court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com state that paramedics were called to the 800 block of Lakewood Ave. on Tuesday, Feb. 23 around 8:00 a.m.
EMT’s reported the three-year-old boy was unresponsive, vomiting and bleeding from his nose and mouth.
Documents show the child was rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center where doctors said he had an internal brain injury. He was admitted for surgery and later placed in the intensive care unit.
Court records state doctors put the child in a medically induced coma to limit his movement and stimulation in an effort to reduce brain swelling. Doctors also reported that the child was incapable of moving the right side of his body.
According to a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Ocampo-Garcia is the girlfriend of the young boy’s father. The child was in the care of Ocampo-Garcia while the father was at work.
Court records say that Ocampo-Garcia originally told investigators the child threw himself into a pile of 2×4 boards.
She went on to admit to detectives that she grabbed the child by his hair and pushed him to the ground. At one point, documents state Ocampo-Garcia picked up a toy and hit him “no more than eight times” in the head.
Documents say that photographs were taken of the child’s hands, which were bruised as a result of him trying to protect his head. Ocampo-Garcia confirmed with police that the boy held his hands to his head while she hit him with the toy.
Investigators took possession of the toy, which was over 14 inches in length, made of hard plastic and weighed 1.25 lbs.
Ocampo-Garcia was arrested in Madison County on Thursday, Feb. 25 and booked into the Bonneville County Jail. She posted $30,000 bond on Monday, Feb. 29 and, as a condition of her bond, is not allowed to have any unsupervised contact with children.
Ocampo-Garcia is scheduled to appear in court on March 22. The boy is being cared for at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.