A 3-year-old Texas boy is now out of a coma after enduring a brutal beating in January, reportedly at the hand of his mother’s boyfriend.
According to ABC 13, Jasmine Salas was charged last month with a felony injury to a child charge after she allegedly allowed her boyfriend to beat her son, Nehemiah, in late January. She’s currently behind bars at the Harris County jail on a $150,000 bond.
Court documents indicate that the victim had a burn to the crown of his head, face swelling, bruising throughout his body, fractured ribs, malnourishment, liver lacerations, and numerous other injuries. He was taken to the Memorial Hermann Hospital by LifeFligh following the attack, where he was in a coma until last week.
“He’s a fighter. I know God is working a miracle in him; he’s alive. There’s a miracle in him, and he’s going to walk. I totally believe that,” Nehemiah’s great aunt, Emma Schiefer, told the outlet.
“He did open his eyes yesterday when we were talking to him. It gives us hope. It gives me hope that he’s still there. That he’s still in there beneath all that trauma.”
Meanwhile, a 5-year-old who lived in the home was placed into custody with Child Protective Services after the beating but is now with Schiefer, who said she’s the children’s paternal aunt.
Family members initially said they were unsure if the older boy was also an abuse victim, but last month during Salas’ first court appearance, prosecutors alleged that both children were abused and Salas failed to protect them.
Police have declined to provide information about Salas’ boyfriend, “citing an open investigation,” the Houston Chronicle reports. So far, it’s unclear if he has been charged. He’s not the child’s birth father and police are referring to him as a “co-actor” in the incident.
The family is seeking justice, but right now, are mostly concerned with Nehemiah’s recovery. To help the family with hospital expenses, visit the GoFundMe page set up to help with hospital expenses.
“It’s going to be a journey. It’s a lot. He went through a lot, but he’s still here and still fighting,” Schiefer added.
Check back for updates.
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[Featured image via GoFundMe]
