LORENA, Texas — A Lorena mother and her boyfriend were arrested recently for alleged child abuse of the mother's 4-year-old daughter, according to the McLennan County Sheriff's Office.
Child Protective Services (CPS) contacted MCSO after the child was taken from a home in the 100 block of Hope Circle to the McLane Children's Medical Center in Temple for injuries.
According to MCSO, the child had several injuries, including a lacerated pancreas, bruising on her face and body, as well as possible fractured ribs.
After investigating, MCSO arrested the mother's boyfriend, identified as Jeffrey Nevarez, for injury to a child. An arrest warrant was also issued for Nevarez because he violated his parole, MCSO added.
Later, an MCSO detective also arrested the child's mother, Kandis Eaton-Autry, and charged her with abandoning/endangering a child.
The U.S. Marshal Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force assisted in both arrests.
“It takes a really low-down despicable coward to beat and injure a helpless 4-year-old girl. You don’t get much worse than this.” Sheriff Parnell McNamara said.
Nevarez is being held on a $150,000 bond, as well as parole violation, which was for family violence assault offense, MCSO said. Bond information regarding the mother wasn't released at the time this article was published.
The child remains at the children's hospital for observation, but CPS plans to remove the child from their home for further investigation