2 Burnsville parents charged after child found with "extensive bruising," court documents say

Two Burnsville, Minnesota, parents are facing charges after medical officials found their child had "extensive bruising" following a welfare check at their home, according to court documents filed on Friday. 

A 27-year-old woman is charged with two counts of child torture, six counts of third-degree assault of a child under 4 years old and one count of harassment, and a 27-year-old man is charged with two counts of child endangerment.

A criminal complaint said police officers conducted the welfare check at the Burnsville residence on June 4 after an individual provided law enforcement with photos showing bruising all over the child's body. They found the minor, who was under 3 years old at the time, had stitches in his forehead and bruising on his stomach, sides, arms, legs and face.

A 72-hour hold of the child was initiated after the parents couldn't provide "a plausible explanation" for the injuries, according to the court document. A pediatrician said the "extensive bruising" to the child's body was "consistent with abuse and specifically noted there were very few bruises where toddlers often have accidental bruises, such as the shins, knees and forehead," the complaint said.

The woman "minimized the extent" of the child's injuries while providing a statement to police, according to the court document, and acknowledged that they had bruising that never completely healed. She allegedly denied hurting the child, but said she would spank them.

When law enforcement informed the woman of the findings of child abuse, she "began to gag and stated she was never going to regain custody" of the child, the complaint said. The man allegedly also denied hurting the child and told police he would discipline them with "light spanking."

Law enforcement seized and searched the parents' phones. The court document said they found at least 11 dates during the first year of the child's life where the woman texted the man about shaking, punching and hitting the child, "mainly in response to not receiving responses" from the man.

According to the complaint, officers searching the parents' phones also found at least 69 dates during the second year of the child's life where the woman said she was assaulting the minor. 

In one such instance, on June 20, 2025, the parents were arguing about ending their relationship. The man texted, "Hopefully [Child A] is still alive when I get home, so far I'm not too impressed," the court document said, and the woman responded with a video of the child screaming while she repeatedly hits him in the stomach. 

Another video, sent by the woman on July 9, 2025, showed the woman slapping the child across the face as he cries, according to the complaint. 

Throughout the text messages, the man threatens to call police, calls the woman names, tells her to stop and occasionally ignores the abuse, the court document said.

Per the complaint, the child has since been removed from the custody of their parents.

As of Friday, both the man and woman are in police custody, online court records show. 

To report concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families recommends contacting the county or Tribal Nation where the child lives. You can find a list of Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies by clicking here. If there is an immediate concern of harm to the child, the agency recommends calling 911.