Left inset: Zoe Wagenhurst. Right inset: Christian Griffin (East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office). Background: The Louisiana hospital where Zoe Wagenhurst's daughter was treated (Google Maps).
A Louisiana mother tried to blame her toddler's facial bruises on sleeping with a sippy cup and slipping on dog urine, according to police. Doctors later discovered that the girl had broken bones, a hematoma on her skull and bleeding in both eyes, police said.
Zoe Wagenhurst, 25, and her boyfriend, Christian Griffin, 21, are facing charges of felony second-degree cruelty to juveniles after Wagenhurst's daughter was admitted to Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital on Oct. 16 with numerous injuries, according to arrest warrant affidavits obtained by local CBS affiliate WAFB.
Doctors examining the girl found a broken bone in her left upper arm, a fracture in her left leg that was already healing, a hematoma on the top of her skull and hemorrhages in the retinas of both eyes. Investigators believe the injuries occurred between Oct. 5 and Oct. 16.
Wagenhurst told investigators the bruises on her daughter's face resulted from the child "sleeping with her sippy cup in her bed, as well as her slipping on their dog's urine and hitting her face on the floor," according to the affidavits. She allegedly said she had no idea how the hematoma developed and only noticed it on the morning of her police interview.
Griffin offered a similar explanation for the facial bruises, blaming them on the toddler sleeping with toys and her sippy cup, the affidavits say.
According to the couple, Wagenhurst's daughter hurt her arm during a playdate when she fell while ripping a toy away from another 2-year-old. Griffin claimed the girl never cried after the incident, while Wagenhurst said they only realized something was wrong after hearing her cry from another room.
The mother of the other child told investigators the girl already had bruises when she arrived for the playdate. She also said she did not believe the victim had hurt herself during an interaction with her own child, according to the affidavits.
Wagenhurst and Griffin both allegedly acknowledged seeing the girl's arm swell and bruise and knowing she was in pain. Griffin told detectives that at one point during the preceding week, the victim could not lift her arm above her shoulder, the affidavits say.
Despite those signs, police say neither adult sought professional medical care for her.
The couple lives with the toddler in an apartment on Highland Road in Baton Rouge, and Griffin regularly cares for the child while Wagenhurst is at work, according to court documents.
Both suspects were being held at the East Baton Rouge Parish jail. Bond had not been set as of Monday.
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