Starving 2-year-old girl found by maintenance workers bound in duct tape: Report

Two maintenance workers in Houston called the authorities after they discovered a nonverbal two-year-old girl tied up with duct tape while fixing a dishwasher, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The criminal complaint suggested that the two-year-old girl had suffered psychological abuse, physical abuse, and neglect. She reportedly had a brain bleed caused by trauma to the head. The nonverbal toddler was also malnourished and had an injured kidney.

Physicians involved with the care of the girl said she may not have made it through the night had she not been discovered by the workers, according to court documents.

Fox News Digital reported that the maintenance workers told the authorities that they showed up at an apartment on November 28 to fix a dishwasher. But while repairing the machine, they heard a child crying and soon discovered the girl lying on the living room floor "with her legs duct taped."

The workers told the authorities the girl was covered up with a blanket, and when they removed it, they discovered that her legs were tied together. They took photos and a video, departed the apartment, and alerted the police to the situation, per the report.

The three people who lived at the apartment — Toniesha Deshae Perkins, the girl's cousin; Kenry Joseph Flukers, Perkin's boyfriend; and Mya Jhari Breaux-McGruder, the child's teenage aunt — were arrested and charged with injury to a child and unlawful restraint of a person under the age of 17.

Perkins' defense attorney said that she planned to plead not guilty. The attorney for Flukers did not respond to Fox News Digital for comment on the case. Breaux-McGruder's attorney, Sally L. Ring, said that her 17-year-old client was not appropriately charged.

Flukers said he had never seen the little girl with duct tape around her ankles, adding that he had only seen her hands duct-taped. He went on to say that the girl would not eat when given food but would often sneak food. He added that her hands were tied to prevent her from doing so.

Five other children apparently live in the apartment and appear to be in good health. When the authorities presented the photo of the two-year-old girl, Perkins blamed it on her children, saying that they often tie each other up.

Two children were questioned by the authorities, a pair of six-year-old twins. They both said Perkins and Flukers tie the little girl up because she "wastes" food. One of the twins noted that the girl gets "popped" if she tries to remove the duct tape, and Flukers allegedly used his belt to "whoop" the girl, according to Fox News Digital.

One of the twins said Perkins told them to tell anyone who asked about the little girl to say they wrap each other up.

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