Mom’s friend beats 4-year-old daily, leaving her in critical condition, Texas cops say
A Texas woman is accused of beating a 4-year-old girl for months, leaving her in critical condition, officials say.
The girl arrived at a Houston-area hospital on Nov. 26, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said on X, formerly known as Twitter. She showed signs of abuse, deputies were called, and an investigation was soon launched by the sheriff’s office “due to the serious, life-threatening nature of the injuries,” he said.
Deputies learned the girl had been living with 30-year-old Tameria Barnett, a friend of the girl’s mother, since September. The girl’s mother is “currently incarcerated,” Gonzalez said, though it’s unclear if she’s in jail or prison, or for how long.
Her daughter has suffered near-constant abuse during that time, according to Gonzalez.
“My heart breaks for this precious little girl,” he said. “She allegedly was beat daily for months.”
According to court records, Barnett hit the girl with a cord, a belt and “an unknown object.”
The girl was still hospitalized in critical condition as of Nov. 29.
McClatchy News was unable to get in contact with an attorney listed for Barnett.
Barnett was arrested and booked Nov. 29 on a charge of injury to a child, records show. Her bond was set at $100,000, but records show she paid bail.
This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Mom’s friend beats 4-year-old daily, leaving her in critical condition, Texas cops say."