SAN ANTONIO – A 1-year-old girl from Blanco who police said was the alleged victim of child abuse has died, the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office said Thursday.
Sunny Dakota Slade-Bort died one day after being taken to University Hospital with multiple injuries. The toddler was taken off life support at the request of the baby's father.
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Blanco police Chief Michael Ritchey said Wednesday that Sunny suffered bruising to the side of her head, face and lower jaw. A cause of death has yet to be determined.
Police and EMS responded to a 911 call early Tuesday evening at an apartment complex in Blanco, Ritchey said.
He said two other children, a 2-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, were in a bedroom.
Those two children were also hospitalized with suspicious injuries, Ritchey said. He said the boy suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and had bruising all over his head. The girl also
had bruises and other injuries.
"It's just horrific. It's hard to deal with when you see that 1-year-old lying on the floor," Ritchey said.
The children's mother, Jamie Patronella and her boyfriend, John Lawrence, have been charged with injury to a child.
Llano-Burnet-Blanco District Attorney Sonny McAffee said said he won't decide whether to upgrade the charge to capital murder until the investigation is complete. McAffee said it could take a few weeks for the investigation to wrap up.
The Texas Rangers and Child Protective Services are investigating.
CPS spokeswoman Julie Moody said the agency is filing for emergency custody of the two surviving children. Moody also said the agency had prior contact with the family, but would not elaborate.