Tearful boy ‘missing pieces of hair’ reveals abuse at home to teachers, Texas cops say

A Texas woman is accused of abusing a young boy after he revealed the violence at home to his teachers, according to police.

The woman was arrested April 3, on a charge of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury, the Woodway Public Safety Department said in a news release.

“Detectives determined the young child had been the victim of several violent incidents ranging from being punched, hit with miscellaneous objects, and not being fed for long periods of time,” officials said.

Authorities did not provide the woman’s connection to the child, but said the boy was a “child in her care.” McClatchy News is not naming the woman to protect the identity of the child.

The abuse came to light when the boy was at school, police said. He was crying and “missing pieces of his hair,” and school staff took notice and spoke with him.

He told them he was “dragged to the bathroom by his hair” and “forced to drink toilet water,” according to investigators.

Officials say the boy has been placed in the care of a relative.

“Great work school personnel for noticing and moving this investigation forward,” officials said.

Woodway is a suburb of Waco and is a roughly 5-mile drive southwest of the city’s downtown.

This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Tearful boy ‘missing pieces of hair’ reveals abuse at home to teachers, Texas cops say."