VICTORVILLE – Two parents, charged in willful cruelty to a month-old baby that may have been the cause by a fight between them, will likely appear in court on Monday.
Audrey Joann Zuniga, 26, and Dannie Hodge Beal, 24, both of Victorville, were charged with hurting their 33-day-old baby daughter. On August 25, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Crimes Against Children detectives were summoned to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. The infant had been admitted with a severe head injury, according to reports, leading hospital officials to contact law enforcement officials. Detective Michelle Brand, who led the investigation, was told by Forensic Pediatricians that the baby’s injuries, suspicious in nature, were caused by unknown trauma.
Zuniga and Beal, it was discovered, were involved in a physical altercation at their residence on the 14000 block of La Paz in Victorville, “during which the infant was injured,” said Brand. Zuniga was arrested on August 25, booked at Central Detention Center.
Dannie Hodge Beal
Two days later, Beal was arrested and taken to the High Desert Detention Center. Officials reported that the parents brought their daughter to the hospital, which is located about 40 minutes from Victorville, for observation. Held on $100,000 bail each, both suspects were booked on charges of willful injury to a child. On August 28, both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The September 8 appearance is deemed a pre-preliminary hearing, according to records. Law enforcement officials, who are continuing to investigate, did not comment on the infant’s current health.
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Victor Valley News Group: Victorville couple arrested for willful cruelty
