Insets: Tyreesha Robinson and Devien Wheeler (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The apartment complex in San Antonio, Texas, where Tyreesha Robinson and Devien Wheeler allegedly abused Robinson’s 2-year-old son (KENS/YouTube).
A Texas mother and her boyfriend are facing criminal charges for abusing the woman’s 2-year-old son and covering up injuries he suffered at their hands for months, including an incident where the boy was doused with boiling pasta water, cops say.
Tyreesha Robinson, 32, and Devien Wheeler, 31, are charged with injury to a child after a series of assaults led to the boy being hospitalized with third-degree burns following the pasta water attack, according to arrest affidavits obtained by San Antonio Express-News and local ABC affiliate KSAT.
Doctors allegedly uncovered medical evidence of domestic assaults after the boy was brought in, including a “healing broken arm” that required surgery, in addition to burns on his head, neck, torso and back. Robinson told cops that the boiling water attack happened in late May or early June, and that she was “scared” to report it after being threatened by Wheeler, according to the affidavits.
“No one is going to find out about this or you are going to lose your kids,” Wheeler allegedly told Robinson.
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Robinson never took her son to a hospital, nor did she report the abuse or Wheeler’s pasta water attack, the affidavits allege. She claimed the “reason why he caused injury” to the child was that Wheeler did not get along with the child’s biological father.
“This pattern of injury suggests the liquid was poured from an elevated position, allowing [the water] to travel downward in a gravity assisted flow,” Wheeler’s affidavit says, according to the Express-News.
Wheeler allegedly used water that was being boiled to cook spaghetti.
Robinson called officers to the couple’s apartment in the 8800 block of Starcrest Drive on Aug. 22 to report an assault on her son by Wheeler and showed authorities some injuries he allegedly suffered. Police had been called to the residence in the past, according to reports.
Robinson said she heard her boy scream and then found him in a bathroom tub; he was “very hot” and had burn marks all over him, the affidavits say. The mom used a first aid kit to treat the injuries, cops report.
Police arrested Robinson and Wheeler last Thursday following an investigation. They were being held at the Bexar County jail in lieu of $250,000 and $300,000 bail, respectively, the Express-News reported. They both face a charge of injury to a child, elderly or disabled individual with intent to cause serious bodily injury or mental impairment.
