POSTED: Tuesday, November 9, 2010 - 12:20pm
UPDATED: Friday, November 12, 2010 - 10:44am
LAS CRUCES - A 17-year-old mother is charged with critically injuring her baby.
Police say the child's injuries are consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Diana Atima Goenaga is charged with child abuse causing death or great bodily harm.
Police arrested her Monday night.
2-month-old Baby Jade as she is called remains on life support at Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso where she has been since Sunday afternoon.
Detectives say they learned that on Wednesday, Nov. 3, the baby’s 23-year-old father arrived at the couple’s apartment and noticed Jade was unresponsive and limp.
The couple began driving Jade to a Las Cruces hospital but, according to statements made to detectives, the baby appeared to regain consciousness so they returned home.
The couple told detectives that two days later they took Jade to a family doctor in Las Cruces who examined the baby and attributed the baby’s symptoms, which included vomiting, to a change in formula. The couple again returned home with baby Jade.
Detectives learned that on Sunday morning the baby’s father again noticed Jade to be unresponsive and rushed her to Mountain View Regional Medical Center. The girl was then transported by ambulance to Las Palmas where pediatric specialists determined Jade was suffering from head trauma consistent with shaken baby syndrome.