A 21-month-old girl is fighting for her life in the hospital after her mother’s boyfriend allegedly beat her when she interrupted the video game that he was playing.
According to the Spokesman , 22-year-old Brandon Oquendo was arrested after he allegedly beat his girlfriend’s daughter when she walked in front of his Xbox video game. Oquendo was the child’s primary babysitter while the girl’s mother was at work, according to the paper. He had recently been released from his job at Value Village.
KREM 2 reports that the young girl was taken to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for her injuries, which included two brain bleeds, a body covered in bruises, and a collapsed lung. When hospital personnel treated the girl for her life-threatening injuries, they alerted the police after suspecting that the girl was abused by her caregiver. According to the report, when the 22-year-old was interviewed by authorities at the hospital, he told them that he didn’t know how the girl sustained her injuries.
But when Oquendo called the girl’s mother, he allegedly lied and told a story of how the 21-month-old grabbed his finger before having a seizure, and that was the reason behind the hospital visit. When the girl’s mother arrived at the hospital, she also told police that she had confronted Oquendo earlier in the month after she noticed an increasing number of bruises on the child’s body while in his care. Oquendo reportedly told the mother that the bruises were from the girl and his 2-year-old son rough housing.
Man accused of beating 21 month old in court right now. Brandon Oquendo is charged w/ 1st degree child abuse pic.twitter.com/qTryVwJw1y
— Ryan Simms (@KREMRyan) November 6, 2017
The Spokesman reports that when Oquendo was interviewed later, he allegedly admitted that he punched the child in the stomach earlier in the day after she hit him in the face. When he was asked how the child sustained her head injuries, he reportedly told detectives that the 21-month-old had walked in front of him while he was playing video games in the living room, and he just “lost control” and backhanded the child so forcefully that she flew to the ground.
Following the alleged abuse, Oquendo said that he sent the girl to her room as punishment. Later, he said that the girl fell asleep next to him but woke up with a seizure, which prompted him to call 911.
Oquendo was later arrested and made an appearance in court on Monday, where his bond was set at $150,000. The Spokane Valley man had no previous criminal history.
[Featured Image by Al Powers/AP Images]
