A Colorado woman was arrested on Friday, accused of beating a child so severely that he needed to have part of his skull removed, according to family friends and police.
The Lakewood Police Department said in a tweet posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that officers last week were searching for McKinley Slone Hernandez, 25, on child abuse charges.
“Hernandez has an active felony warrant for child abuse – cruelty toward child – with a $100,000 bond,” the tweet said.
In a series of updates posted to GoFundMe, a family friend said Giovanni, a 2-year-old boy, was “harmed by the hands of a trusted caregiver” on September 1.
“He is suffering from a brain bleed requiring emergency surgery,” one GoFundMe update says. “The swelling to his brain has required removal of part of his [skull] to reduce pressure. He will remain [sic] intubated and sedated while his brain recovers.”
Giovanni was a “happy, healthy, energetic two year old,” says the GoFundMe, which is raising money to help his parents, Anthony and Stefanie Reichert, to pay for medical fees.
“You never would think it would happen to you, especially by someone who you consider a friend,” Stefanie Reichert told NBC affiliate KUSA.
Reichert told KUSA that she believes these injuries will cause her son to experience a long road of complications and difficulties.
“He doesn’t like strangers,” she said. “Now he doesn’t like the nurses and the doctors. He doesn’t let anybody touch him. We have to do everything for them in there.”
Hernandez is being held on a $100,000 cash bond.
