A Gaithersburg mother physically abused her daughter for refusing to brush her teeth.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – A Gaithersburg mother has been charged with first-degree child, first-degree assault, and possibly murder after authorities discovered that the woman physically abused her daughter for refusing to brush her teeth.
The 4-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but passed away later that day due to head trauma. Gaithersburg police officials declared that on Wednesday, 20-year-old Iris Hernandez-Rivas dialed 911 and told the authorities that she found her daughter lying unconscious in the bathtub. The woman also said that her daughter went to the bathroom at about 11 am in order to take a bath. Despite the fact that Hernandez-Rivas said that she called the emergency number 15 minutes later, the authorities later discovered that the woman waited for about an hour before calling for help. The four-year-old girl was discovered with her face down in the bathtub and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. After carefully examining the young girl, the doctors found multiple bruises on her abdomen and determined that the girl had sustained severe head trauma. Due to the extent of her injuries, the girl was transferred to the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. Unfortunately, the doctors from the Children’s Hospital were not able to stabilize the little girl, who passed away later that day. The authorities interviewed Hernandez-Rivas and asked about the bruises found on the girl’s abdomen. The woman admitted to getting irritated that day due to the girl’s strongheadedness and her refusal to brush her teeth when told to do so. As a result, the 20-year-old woman beat the little girl with a belt, and when she was down on the floor, Hernandez-Rivas kicked her in the stomach until she became unconscious. According to the authorities, the four-year-old girl sustained the head trauma after being kicked by the Gaithersburg mother. After the woman stopped kicking her, the girl desperately tried to get up. Instead, she fell on her back, and before hitting the group, her skull grazed the edge of the tub. The 20-year-old Gaithersburg mother has been taken into custody and charged with first-degree child abuse and first-degree assault. At the moment, the investigators are waiting for the medical examiners to establish the girl’s exact cause of death.
Depending on their assessment, the woman might also be charged with first-degree murder. It’s unclear, at the moment, if the woman hired an attorney.