Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah (Google Maps).
A Utah mother is in jail after she brought her 4-month-old daughter to the hospital with injuries that led medical staff to call the police.
Lizbeth Hurtado-Breton, 36, was detained on charges of child torture and aggravated child abuse. According to court records accessed by NBC affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City, both Hurtado-Breton and her spouse, whose identity remains undisclosed, brought their 4-month-old daughter to Primary Children’s Hospital on Tuesday due to serious burns on her face. Medical professionals discovered additional injuries, including “multiple bone fractures, a brain bleed,” and wounds at different healing stages.
When questioned by authorities about the burns, the baby’s father reportedly claimed that Hurtado-Breton attempted a “traditional remedy” by holding the infant over hot steam. As Hurtado-Breton wiped the child’s face with a napkin, according to law enforcement, it “peeled off skin.”
Court documents indicate that Hurtado-Breton’s spouse once found “tape over the baby’s mouth” when he returned home. Upon inquiring, she allegedly explained it was because the infant “would not stop crying.”
Authorities stated that, according to the father, Hurtado-Breton’s alleged abuse included taping the baby’s arms during feedings and forcibly pushing a bottle into the child’s mouth, causing choking. He reportedly provided visual evidence of these actions.
In discussions with the police, the father suggested that Hurtado-Breton “regretted not having a son,” attributing this to her harmful behavior towards the infant, unlike her treatment of the older children.
When authorities questioned Hurtado-Breton about the steam incident, she reportedly mentioned that even though her hands felt “extremely hot,” she did not consider the steam’s effect on the baby. She also allegedly remarked that taping the pacifier in place was the “simplest” method for her.
KUTV, a local CBS affiliate, also obtained the court documents, which stated that when Hurtado-Breton was asked about how the baby could have received the other injuries, she allegedly responded that she “couldn’t remember.”
Hurtado-Breton was arrested on Tuesday and charged with child torture and aggravated child abuse. She remains in custody at the Salt Lake County Jail.
