BAKERSFIELD, CA - A Bakersfield couple is back behind bars following their re-arrest for child abuse.
Tuesday afternoon, the District Attorney filed additional charges against Jesse Brown and Virginia Rodriguez, who are accused of the torture and attempted murder of their five-year-old child.
The child remains in critical condition at Valley Children's Hospital.
A man and woman who answered the door at the couple's Cedar Street home, claim to be Rodriguez's father and sister. They said Rodriguez and her husband are innocent, but declined to say how the child became so severely hurt until after they retain an attorney.
"I know they're wrongfully accused. I know my daughter. She wouldn't do that."
At 1 a.m. Sunday, Bakersfield Police were called to the home on Cedar Street for medical aid on an unconscious child with life-threatening injuries.
The five-year-old was rushed to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera and remains in critical condition with blunt force trauma injuries.
Bakersfield police declined to discuss details of the case, but arrested the child's parents 34-year-old Virginia Rodriguez and 31-year-old Jesse Brown. The man who said he is Rodriguez's father said he was told what happened to the child, but declined to say until Rodriguez has an attorney.
"We're going to leave that out right now because I don't want them to flip flop anything. We know what happened."
The original charges were for child abuse, but Tuesday afternoon the district attorney added torture and attempted murder. A second child was taken from the home and placed in protective custody.
"I got my youngest [grandson]," said the man. "He's two years old. He's out there with nobody he knows. He's close to his mom and is always following his mom around."
Rodriguez and Brown are being held at Kern County Jail on $1 million each.
Tuesday afternoon, the District Attorney filed additional charges against Jesse Brown and Virginia Rodriguez, who are accused of the torture and attempted murder of their five-year-old child.
The child remains in critical condition at Valley Children's Hospital.
A man and woman who answered the door at the couple's Cedar Street home, claim to be Rodriguez's father and sister. They said Rodriguez and her husband are innocent, but declined to say how the child became so severely hurt until after they retain an attorney.
"I know they're wrongfully accused. I know my daughter. She wouldn't do that."
At 1 a.m. Sunday, Bakersfield Police were called to the home on Cedar Street for medical aid on an unconscious child with life-threatening injuries.
The five-year-old was rushed to Valley Children's Hospital in Madera and remains in critical condition with blunt force trauma injuries.
Bakersfield police declined to discuss details of the case, but arrested the child's parents 34-year-old Virginia Rodriguez and 31-year-old Jesse Brown. The man who said he is Rodriguez's father said he was told what happened to the child, but declined to say until Rodriguez has an attorney.
"We're going to leave that out right now because I don't want them to flip flop anything. We know what happened."
The original charges were for child abuse, but Tuesday afternoon the district attorney added torture and attempted murder. A second child was taken from the home and placed in protective custody.
"I got my youngest [grandson]," said the man. "He's two years old. He's out there with nobody he knows. He's close to his mom and is always following his mom around."
Rodriguez and Brown are being held at Kern County Jail on $1 million each.
