For assaulting a 2-year-old kid to the extent that he needed to be fed through a tube and sustained potentially permanent disabilities, a Colorado woman will serve over 20 years in prison.
According to the 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Mckinley Slone Hernandez, 26, was given an 18-year prison sentence for the damage she caused to Giovanni, a 2-year-old boy she was childcare for.
Hernandez took the boy to a nearby hospital on September 1, 2023, which prompted Lakewood police to launch an investigation. After that, he was flown to a children’s hospital for surgery that could save his life.
A severe brain damage, decreased blood and oxygen supply to the brain, and retinal hemorrhage resulting in tissue displacement behind the eyes were among his injuries. His body was covered in bruises.
During Hernandez’s sentence hearing, Stefanie Reichert, the boy’s mother, stated that her son was “intubated, sedated, placed on and off a ventilator, and fed through a tube” during his approximately month-long hospital stay.
He had to relearn how to breathe, eat, and walk—basic life skills. According to her, he might face those difficulties for the remainder of his life.
“The possibility of playing sports, wrestling with his brothers, following in his father’s footsteps into the military — these are things that will never happen … Not because he didn’t want them, but because someone made a choice to take them away,” she stated.
However, it wasn’t until almost 8 p.m. that Hernandez took him to the hospital.
Hernandez put herself before Giovanni, according to the prosecution, because she was afraid of getting into trouble.
“The fact that Ms. Hernandez hesitated to seek medical attention for the victim is incredibly aggravated,” said Tyra Forbes, Special Victims Chief Prosecutor.
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Hernandez’s boyfriend, according to the prosecution, performed life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and made sure the youngster was transported to the hospital.
According to the prosecution, Giovanni was mistreated for two days and sustained injuries from more than simply the fall.
At the sentencing hearing, District Court Judge Chantel Contiguglia stated, “As a caregiver, your job, first and foremost, is to get that little boy help.”
Hernandez was found guilty of child abuse by a jury in April.
Reichert has been using her GoFundMe page to document the progress of her now 4-year-old kid. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, he has steadily improved.
“Giovanni is doing very well and continues to improve every day,” she stated in a post last year. “We are forever thankful for all of the doctors, nurses, and surgeons that saved his life and continue to be a huge part in making him improve everyday.”
