A San Bernardino woman and her relative were arrested for the alleged abuse of a 3-year-old child who was hospitalized multiple injuries, though they tried to blame a “narcotics transaction” gone awry as the source of his wounds.
On Sunday, the child, whose identity was not released, was taken to the San Bernardino Community Hospital emergency room by his mother, Destiny Christine Haro, 26, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
Haro took the child to seek medical care while her relative, 28-year-old Robert Kelly Ursulo, with whom the boy lived, reported to deputies that he had been “physically assaulted over a narcotics transaction by a male subject” who also entered the child’s room and physically assaulted the boy, authorities said.
“Later in the investigation, it was found the male who assaulted Ursulo did not assault the juvenile victim,” who was not present when deputies arrived, authorities said.
Instead, the source of the boy’s wounds to his “head, chest, back, arms, legs, and genitals” was Ursulo himself, with whom Haro had left the child six weeks prior, authorities said.
“Haro failed to conduct any safety checks on the victim either personally or by friends, family or law enforcement,” the release said.
The boy ended up being transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center Children’s Hospital for treatment, and he is in stable condition. He was taken into custody by San Bernardino County Children and Family Services.
Haro was arrested on charges of child abuse or endangerment and child abandonment. Ursulo was arrested on charges of torture, child abuse or endangerment, and false imprisonment.
Both are being held at the Central Detention Center in lieu of $100,000 bail. Jail records show Haro also faces a charge of battery on a spouse, ex-spouse or date, and that bail is set at $10,000.
Both are due to appear in San Bernardino Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to call 909-387-3545. To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 888-78-CRIME.