A Texas woman has been arrested for killing her three-year-old grandson by throwing him against a wall.
Angela J. Downing, 57, was arrested this week and charged with murder after her grandson was declared dead in hospital after several days in the ICU.
The incident took place in the city of Denton in the US state of Texas when the suspect brought her grandson to the Texas Health Fort Worth Hospital with multiple serious injuries on the morning of 18th January.
She allegedly told doctors that the victim fell down a flight of stairs, however, they were unconvinced that the boy’s injuries were consistent with that account and contacted Child Protective Services (CPS).
The child was then admitted to the paediatric ICU at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.
The CPS contacted the police and officers interviewed Downing and hospital doctors about the boy’s injuries.
Downing reportedly admitted that her initial story was untrue and that she caused the injuries herself.
The police said in a statement: “During an interview with detectives, Downing, who was the child’s legal guardian, admitted to forcefully throwing the child onto the bathroom floor and against a wall.
“The child sustained a skull fracture, and suffered a brain bleed and brain swelling as a result.”
After four days battling for his life, the victim was declared dead at around 7.50am on 22nd January.
The victim has been named as Neshon Randolph Downing Jr. and his exact cause of death will be announced pending an autopsy.
Meanwhile, the suspect is being held at Denton County Jail on a surety bond of USD 250,000.
The police said: “This is a tragic reminder of how devastating child abuse can be, and how the relationship between suspect and victim can vary.
Downing is the legal guardian of the victim and a sibling after their mother was admitted to an out-of-state psychiatric facility and the father gave his mother full custody. The other child is not believed to have suffered any abuse, according to local reports.
The investigation continues.
