Lubbock parents jailed after 2-month-old baby girl found with severe injuries

LUBBOCK, Texas — A Lubbock mother and father, Kayla Escobedo, 21, and Cecilio Flores, 24, were arrested in connection with extremely severe injuries that were found on their 2-month-old baby, court records obtained by EverythingLubbock.com on Tuesday revealed.

Police were called to a Lubbock hospital in late September for possible child abuse. Court records said medical staff told officers the baby had a brain bleed, multiple skull fractures, 38 rib fractures, a lacerated liver, a compressed bowel, a lacerated lung, a broken wrist, a lacerated spleen, a possibly broken arm and potential brain damage. According to court records, the rib fractures involved nearly every rib, and some of them were healing.

An officer interviewed Escobedo, who claimed she didn’t know what could’ve caused such traumatic injuries. Escobedo said her family told her to take the baby to the hospital about two weeks prior, because they thought she had head trauma. According to court records, Escobedo claimed she took the baby to a clinic, then later admitted she lied.

Court documents stated Escobedo only brought her baby to the doctor for her two-month wellness check. According to court records, the baby’s breathing was odd, so medical scans were taken that showed “part of the extent of the abuse the victim had suffered.” Escobedo was then sent to the emergency room with the baby.

Police also spoke with Flores, who said he knew the baby had bruises. Court records stated Flores told police the baby “fell off their bed” multiple times. Flores had “no explanation” for the child’s severe injuries, court records stated. He then wanted to end the interview.

On September 27, the day after Flores’s interview, Escobedo spoke with police again. Court records said Escobedo claimed she saw Flores assault the baby multiple times. She claimed the abuse happened over the past month while she was at work.

“[Escobedo] told me she observed [Flores] place the victim on the bed between him and the wall and forcefully push the victim against the wall on multiple occasions, causing the right side of the victim’s head and body to strike the wall,” court records said.

Escobedo claimed she also saw Flores squeezing the baby as hard as he could, according to court records. Escobedo said she never took the baby to the hospital for those injuries because she was “scared” of Flores, according to court records. Court documents stated Escobedo also said she didn’t want to take the baby to the hospital because she was scared that an investigation would start, and she would lose her children.

According to court records, police interviewed Escobedo’s family members, who confirmed seeing bruises on the baby’s face. Online jail records showed Escobedo was arrested on October 4 near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Parkway Drive. Flores was arrested on the same day in the 2300 block of East 50th Street.

Flores was charged with Aggravated Assault of a Family Member with a Weapon causing serious injury. Escobedo was charged with causing serious Injury to a Child. Both of their bonds were set at $200,000. As of Tuesday, they both remained at the Lubbock County Detention Center.

EverythingLubbock.com reached out to authorities for additional information about the baby’s condition. An update will be provided if necessary.

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