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.
Please retweet – #wanted Lakewood Police are asking for help locating 25 year old McKinley Slone Hernandez (DOB 09.19.98).
— Lakewood Police Dept. (@LakewoodPDCO) November 23, 2023
Hernandez has an active felony warrant for child abuse – cruelty toward child – with a $100,000 bond.
If you know her whereabouts please call 911! pic.twitter.com/xCQy0TsZGb
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 remian [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.
I can’t even begin to tell you in detail what I would do to this POS babysitter! How dare she hurt a precious child like this! We need to round all these youth up and either straighten them out or they can be sent off to war to fight on the front line. Let them see fear head on and fight for their freedom and what it is like to live in a free country. She beats a poor defenseless child! Sick sick sick