Haltom City Woman Arrested After Grandson's Death
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HALTOM CITY (CBSDFW.COM) - Authorities in Haltom City on Thursday confirmed that Patricia Flores was arrested in Frio County, about 60 miles south of San Antonio. Police are preparing to travel there within the next three days to bring the 43-year-old woman back to North Texas.
Flores was located at about 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning by a bail bondsman in Pearsall. She was taken into custody without incident.
Law enforcement officials were searching for Flores for several days. The Haltom City grandmother is accused of injuring her 2-year-old grandson last month. Authorities said that she was caring for Lyfe Flores when the child was left by himself in a bathroom with hot running water.
Flores told a 911 operator "I have a 2-year-old who looks like he's in shock. He's having trouble breathing. He's heaving real bad, his eyes are rolling back. She also admitted "A couple days ago he burned himself. I have been [inaudible] treating him here at home," to the operator.
The toddler sustained "significant burns to his body," the Haltom City Police Department said. But while this alleged incident took place on March 24, officials stated that Flores waited six days before seeking any medical treatment for the burns. Police were called to her home, located in the 2100 block of Haltom Road, on March 30 and only then found the injured boy.
"These weren't mild burns," explained Det. Matthew Spillane of the Haltom City Police Department. "These were severe burns that required skin grafts. She waited six days to get help, and that's only because he became unresponsive."
Lyfe was transported to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, and then to Parkland Hospital in Dallas. However, last Monday morning, the child died from his injuries. Authorities said that the lack of medical treatment led to an infection that may have contributed to the toddler's passing.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner has conducted an autopsy, but has not yet determined the child's official cause of death.
"It breaks my heart every time I think of how much pain he had to endure that many days without treatment," Mike Hamilton said. He was the child's grandfather from the other side of the family. Flores was the legal guardian for the young boy and his even younger sister. "No kid should have to endure that kind of evil."
Flores faces a charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, with a $75,000 bond.
"The system has problems, but I believe in the system," Hamilton said, "and I think she'll get everything that's coming to her."
