Lubbock Parents Arrested for Severely Injuring Their 2-Month-Old Baby

LUBBOCK, TX — A Lubbock mother and father, Kayla Escobedo, 21, and Cecilio Flores, 24, have been arrested after their 2-month-old baby was found with severe injuries.

According to court documents, Lubbock Police were called to Covenant Woman and Children's emergency room after the medical staff were concerned about possible child abuse. Doctors found that the baby had suffered a brain bleed, multiple skull fractures, 38 rib fractures, spinal hemorrhage, and severe injuries to several internal organs, including a lacerated lung and liver. Court documents indicated that nearly every rib had been fractured, with 13 acute and 25 in the process of healing.

In an interview with Officer Benavides and Detective King, Escobedo claimed she had no idea how her baby had sustained such traumatic injuries. She mentioned that multiple family members, including her mother, had urged her to take the baby to the hospital roughly two weeks earlier, believing the baby had head trauma. However, Escobedo later admitted that she had only taken the baby to a clinic for a routine wellness check. During the check-up, doctors noted an abnormal breathing pattern and prompted more medical scans that revealed the extent of the abuse the baby had suffered. It was later found that she lied after Officer Benavides and Detective King called her out on her lie.

Detective Boggs assisted in interviews with family members, including Pamela Moa, the mother of Kayla Escobedo. Court documents state that Moa reported observing bruises on the baby's chin, eye, and face, advising Escobedo to take the baby to the doctor about two weeks before the incident. Detective Boggs also interviewed Zoee Salazar, who confirmed seeing injuries on the victim's head and also advised Escobedo to get medical help for her daughter around the same time in late September.

Cecilio "CJ" Flores, the victim's father, also spoke with police and investigators, confirming that he had seen bruises on the baby. Although, he stated that they were the result of the baby "falling off the bed" repeatedly. As the interview became more pointed, CJ Flores said he wanted to quit talking and ended the interview. 

In a follow-up conversation the next day, Kayla Escobedo revealed to police that she had witnessed CJ Flores assaulting their 2-month-old daughter on multiple occasions over the past month, around the time she would go back to work. Escobedo mentioned an incident where Flores slapped the baby's leg in frustration when he was unable to keep her legs down while attempting to change her diaper.

Kayla Escobedo also remembered allegedly witnessing CJ Flores place their daughter on the bed between him and the wall, where he forcefully pushed her against the wall on multiple occasions, causing the right side of the baby's head and body to hit the wall. She noted that she believed Flores acted out of frustration with their baby, repeating the action at least twice. Escobedo admitted to seeing him press down on the midsection of their daughter's chest with both hands when she cried. When authorities asked her to rate the intensity of the pressure on a scale from one to ten, she firmly stated it was a ten.

Court documents state that Escobedo never took their daughter to the hospital for the injuries because she was scared of Flores. Records show she was also concerned that seeking medical help could lead to an investigation and could result in her losing her children.

Lubbock County jail records show that Escobedo was arrested on October 4 near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Parkway Drive, while Flores was taken into custody the same day in the 2300 block of East 50th Street.

Cecilio "CJ" Flores faces charges of aggravated assault of a family member with a weapon, resulting in serious injury, while Kayla Escobedo was charged with causing serious injury to a child. Both have had their bonds set at $200,000 and remain in custody at the Lubbock County Detention Center.