Left inset: Zoe Wagenhurst. Right inset: Christian Griffin (East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Louisiana hospital where Wagenhurst’s daughter received treatment (Google Maps).
A Louisiana mother allegedly attributed her toddler’s facial bruises to sleeping with a sippy cup and slipping in dog urine, authorities said. Doctors later found that the child had suffered broken bones, a skull hematoma and retinal bleeding in both eyes, according to police.
Zoe Wagenhurst, 25, and her boyfriend, Christian Griffin, 21, were charged with felony second-degree cruelty to juveniles after Wagenhurst’s daughter was taken to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital on Oct. 16 with multiple injuries. The allegations are detailed in arrest warrant affidavits obtained by local CBS affiliate WAFB.
Medical staff identified a fracture in the girl’s left upper arm, a healing fracture in her left leg, a hematoma on the top of her skull and hemorrhages in the retinas of both eyes. Investigators believe the injuries were sustained sometime between Oct. 5 and Oct. 16.
In interviews with investigators, Wagenhurst allegedly said the bruises on her daughter’s face came from the child “sleeping with her sippy cup in her bed” and slipping on the family dog’s urine before hitting her face on the floor, the affidavits state. She reportedly said she did not know how the head injury occurred and noticed the hematoma only on the morning of her police interview.
Griffin gave investigators a comparable account, saying the toddler may have been injured while sleeping with toys and her sippy cup, according to the affidavits.
The couple also claimed the girl broke her arm during a playdate after falling while pulling a toy away from another 2-year-old. Griffin said the child did not cry afterward, while Wagenhurst told police they realized there was a problem only after hearing her crying from another room.
However, the other child’s mother told investigators that Wagenhurst’s daughter already had bruises when she arrived for the playdate. She also said she did not believe the girl had been injured while interacting with her own child, according to the affidavits.
Both Wagenhurst and Griffin allegedly admitted they saw the girl’s arm become swollen and bruised and knew she was experiencing pain. Griffin reportedly told detectives that, at one point during the previous week, the toddler was unable to raise her arm above her shoulder.
Police said neither adult sought medical treatment for the child despite observing those symptoms.
Court documents state that Wagenhurst, Griffin and the toddler lived in an apartment on Highland Road in Baton Rouge. Griffin regularly looked after the child while Wagenhurst was at work, according to the records.
The two suspects were being held at the East Baton Rouge Parish jail. As of Monday, bond had not been set.
The post Mom blames her toddler’s facial bruises on ‘dog’s urine’ and ‘sippy cup’ as doctors discover skull hematoma and broken bones: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
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