Almost two and a half years after the baby’s injuries, his recovery has been described by the district attorney’s office as “miraculous”.
23 year old Berta Lopez-Vasquez of College Station appeared in district court Thursday (May 23), where she was sentenced to 40 years in prison for causing serious bodily injury to a child and deciding to not take the child to the hospital or call for an ambulance.
According to a news release from the DA’s office, Vasquez was convinced by her husband to call the child’s mother.
The child, who is nearly three years old, continues to have issues. But the news release states “the child’s mother expressed her gratitude to medical staff and to God for their help in saving her son.”
That’s after the child sustained injuries that included multiple skull fractures and severe brain bleeding.
Online records also show Vasquez is held in jail for immigration authorities.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
On May 23, 2024, Berta Lopez-Vaquez was pled guilty to Injury to a Child Causing Serious Bodily Injury and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
On January 19, 2022, College Station Police were dispatched to St. Joseph Hospital in response to reports from the hospital that they had a five-month-old child with severe, nonaccidental injuries. After responding to the hospital, police learned that the infant had sustained multiple skull fractures, bruises all over his body, retinal hemorrhaging consistent with shaking, and severe brain bleeding. As a result of his injuries, medical staff had immediately made the decision to transport the infant to Texas Childrens’ Hospital, a Level One Trauma Center.
The mother of the child informed medical staff and the police that she had left the child in the care of the defendant while she went to work. Several hours later, the defendant contacted her to come pick up the child because he was not breathing normally. The defendant refused to take the child to the hospital or summon an ambulance. The mother immediately picked up the child and took him to St. Joseph.
In her interview with College Station Detective Primo Alaniz, the defendant admitted that she had become frustrated with the infant after he would not stop crying. The defendant admitted shaking the child and throwing the child against a wall in response to his refusal to stop crying. After throwing him into a wall, the defendant admitted that the child started seizing and stopped breathing.
The defendant also admitted to authorities that she did not call anyone other than her husband after seeing how injured the child was as a result of the abuse. The defendant’s husband convinced her to call the child’s mother and allow the child to be taken for medical intervention.
Medical experts agree that the intervention by professionals at St. Joseph and Texas Children undoubtedly saved the child’s life. Although the almost three-year-old victim continues to have issues related to the abuse, his recovery has been miraculous. During her victim impact, the child’s mother expressed her gratitude to medical staff and to God for their help in saving her son.
Statement from assistant District Attorneys Jessica Escue, Kevin Capps, and Anjelica Harris: “The defendant hurt an innocent, defenseless infant and left him with life-long injuries as a result of her abuse. Our office will continue to protect the most vulnerable members of our community by strongly responding to anyone who harms a defenseless child.”