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'Baby Isaac' Trial Begins
By Melissa Schroeder
Posted : Jul 7, 2010 4:07 PM
Updated: Jul 7, 2010 5:55 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Testimony began today in the trial of three women accused of nearly starving a three-year-old boy to death.
Back in February 2009, little Isaac Villarreal's uncle took the boy to the hospital after his mother found him unconscious on his bed.
Doctors say that Isaac was severely malnourished and he weighed just 23 pounds and had no muscle mass.
Isaac's mother, Alma Linda Villarreal, her girlfriend Vanessa Zuniga, and Vanessa's mother, Maria Yolanda Zuniga, have been charged with injury to a child.
The first testimony jurors heard today was from Isaac's mother in a taped interview with a Corpus Christi police detective.
Alma Villarreal described her son as a good kid, very smart and independent with a big appetite.
In fact, the day she found him unconscious she told the detective, "He ate three scrambled eggs with ketchup, bread, and milk for breakfast."
She says after breakfast, her son went upstairs to his bedroom to watch cartoons, about an hour later, Villarreal says she checked on the boy and he wasn't moving.
She said, "His eyes were all black, you couldn't see the whites of his eyes. I screamed Isaac, Isaac and he was barely breathing so we called 911!"
During the interview, the detective showed Villarreal photos of her son at the hospital.
The detective told Villarreal there was bruising on her son's bottom because he had no fat on his body and, the detective showed her his bony spine poking out through his skin.
Still, Villarreal denied anything was wrong and said Isaac didn't have any medical problems.
She said, "I'm not hiding anything, all four of my kids are my life, he's my one and only boy, I don't know what's going on."
She also said, "You would starve yourself, before you starve your kid."
Little Isaac and his three sisters are currently in foster care.
The trial will continue tomorrow morning.
Hospital Personnel Describe Malnourished 3-Year-Old's Condition
By Rashi Vats
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 12:22 PM
Updated: Jul 8, 2010 5:51 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Testimony continued today in the trial of three women accused of nearly starving a three-year-old boy to death.
The pediatric doctor at Driscoll Children's Hospital, who cared for little Isaac Villarreal for four months in the intensive care unit, described his malnourished condition.
"There was more fluid than brain in his skull which can be attributed to the malnourishment," said the doctor. "When I first saw him in February of 2009, some things became striking to me. There was exposure of every bone. There wasn't even a little bottom to pat him. There was no body fat. Every time I walked by him he would yell ‘Doctor! Doctor! Hamburger! Cheeseburger!'"
The doctor says he talked with Isaac's mother who told him Isaac always ate a lot and was always hungry but never gained weight.
"What the mother told me was definitely not consistent with what I was seeing," said the doctor.
A social worker at Driscoll Children's hospital, Belinda Luera, took the stand as well. She said she saw Isaac back in December 2008 when his mother, Alma Villarreal, brought him in Driscoll Children's hospital for weight loss. She also saw him in February 2010 when he was brought in.
"In December when I saw him, his rib cage and spine weren't anywhere near what it looked like in February," said Luera. "The mother told me Isaac would go through the trashcan to look for food and she didn't know his eating or sleeping schedule. She said someone else took care of that."
The doctor said Isaac gained weight and was healthy after the hospital took care of him.
When district attorney Anna Jimenez asked what kind of care brought him to good health, the doctor responded," T-L-C. Tender love and care."
The boy's mother, Alma Linda Villarreal, her girlfriend, Vanessa Zuniga and Vanessa's mother, Maria Yolanda Zuniga, are all charged with injury to a child.
Last February Isaac's uncle found him unconscious and rushed him to the hospital.
During a taped interview played in court yesterday, the boy's mother said he ate all the time and seemed healthy, so she had no idea why he wasn't gaining weight.
Testimony continues this afternoon.
Tearful Testimony By Malnourished 3-Year-Old's Sister
By Rashi Vats
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 5:28 PM
Updated: Jul 8, 2010 5:49 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - It was an emotional afternoon in court as the 13-year-old daughter of one of three women accused of nearly starving a boy to death took the stand today.
The girl, Amanda Gonzalez, told the jury something she says she's never revealed before.
She described her mother, Alma Villarreal, as caring and loving. When it came to her four-year-old brother Isaac, she told the jury," Sometimes he couldn't play. He was sick. Isaac didn't get to eat everyday because he didn't always get food."
Gonzalez says her mother did give them food, it was Vanessa Zuniga, Alma's girlfriend, that didn't.
After a lot of crying and shaking, Gonzalez built up the courage to say," Vanessa would sometimes give him food, but many times Vanessa wouldn't let him have food. Sometimes one meal or all day. There were times where Vanessa would eat in front of him or make us eat in front of him and not give him food. He would cry."
Gonzalez also talked about how weak her little brother would get.
She shared a room with him. She told the court he would just lie in his bed and "sometimes he wet the bed because he couldn't leave his room," said Gonzalez.
Her tearful testimony ended late Thursday afternoon.
By Melissa Schroeder
Posted : Jul 7, 2010 4:07 PM
Updated: Jul 7, 2010 5:55 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Testimony began today in the trial of three women accused of nearly starving a three-year-old boy to death.
Back in February 2009, little Isaac Villarreal's uncle took the boy to the hospital after his mother found him unconscious on his bed.
Doctors say that Isaac was severely malnourished and he weighed just 23 pounds and had no muscle mass.
Isaac's mother, Alma Linda Villarreal, her girlfriend Vanessa Zuniga, and Vanessa's mother, Maria Yolanda Zuniga, have been charged with injury to a child.
The first testimony jurors heard today was from Isaac's mother in a taped interview with a Corpus Christi police detective.
Alma Villarreal described her son as a good kid, very smart and independent with a big appetite.
In fact, the day she found him unconscious she told the detective, "He ate three scrambled eggs with ketchup, bread, and milk for breakfast."
She says after breakfast, her son went upstairs to his bedroom to watch cartoons, about an hour later, Villarreal says she checked on the boy and he wasn't moving.
She said, "His eyes were all black, you couldn't see the whites of his eyes. I screamed Isaac, Isaac and he was barely breathing so we called 911!"
During the interview, the detective showed Villarreal photos of her son at the hospital.
The detective told Villarreal there was bruising on her son's bottom because he had no fat on his body and, the detective showed her his bony spine poking out through his skin.
Still, Villarreal denied anything was wrong and said Isaac didn't have any medical problems.
She said, "I'm not hiding anything, all four of my kids are my life, he's my one and only boy, I don't know what's going on."
She also said, "You would starve yourself, before you starve your kid."
Little Isaac and his three sisters are currently in foster care.
The trial will continue tomorrow morning.
Hospital Personnel Describe Malnourished 3-Year-Old's Condition
By Rashi Vats
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 12:22 PM
Updated: Jul 8, 2010 5:51 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Testimony continued today in the trial of three women accused of nearly starving a three-year-old boy to death.
The pediatric doctor at Driscoll Children's Hospital, who cared for little Isaac Villarreal for four months in the intensive care unit, described his malnourished condition.
"There was more fluid than brain in his skull which can be attributed to the malnourishment," said the doctor. "When I first saw him in February of 2009, some things became striking to me. There was exposure of every bone. There wasn't even a little bottom to pat him. There was no body fat. Every time I walked by him he would yell ‘Doctor! Doctor! Hamburger! Cheeseburger!'"
The doctor says he talked with Isaac's mother who told him Isaac always ate a lot and was always hungry but never gained weight.
"What the mother told me was definitely not consistent with what I was seeing," said the doctor.
A social worker at Driscoll Children's hospital, Belinda Luera, took the stand as well. She said she saw Isaac back in December 2008 when his mother, Alma Villarreal, brought him in Driscoll Children's hospital for weight loss. She also saw him in February 2010 when he was brought in.
"In December when I saw him, his rib cage and spine weren't anywhere near what it looked like in February," said Luera. "The mother told me Isaac would go through the trashcan to look for food and she didn't know his eating or sleeping schedule. She said someone else took care of that."
The doctor said Isaac gained weight and was healthy after the hospital took care of him.
When district attorney Anna Jimenez asked what kind of care brought him to good health, the doctor responded," T-L-C. Tender love and care."
The boy's mother, Alma Linda Villarreal, her girlfriend, Vanessa Zuniga and Vanessa's mother, Maria Yolanda Zuniga, are all charged with injury to a child.
Last February Isaac's uncle found him unconscious and rushed him to the hospital.
During a taped interview played in court yesterday, the boy's mother said he ate all the time and seemed healthy, so she had no idea why he wasn't gaining weight.
Testimony continues this afternoon.
Tearful Testimony By Malnourished 3-Year-Old's Sister
By Rashi Vats
Posted : Jul 8, 2010 5:28 PM
Updated: Jul 8, 2010 5:49 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - It was an emotional afternoon in court as the 13-year-old daughter of one of three women accused of nearly starving a boy to death took the stand today.
The girl, Amanda Gonzalez, told the jury something she says she's never revealed before.
She described her mother, Alma Villarreal, as caring and loving. When it came to her four-year-old brother Isaac, she told the jury," Sometimes he couldn't play. He was sick. Isaac didn't get to eat everyday because he didn't always get food."
Gonzalez says her mother did give them food, it was Vanessa Zuniga, Alma's girlfriend, that didn't.
After a lot of crying and shaking, Gonzalez built up the courage to say," Vanessa would sometimes give him food, but many times Vanessa wouldn't let him have food. Sometimes one meal or all day. There were times where Vanessa would eat in front of him or make us eat in front of him and not give him food. He would cry."
Gonzalez also talked about how weak her little brother would get.
She shared a room with him. She told the court he would just lie in his bed and "sometimes he wet the bed because he couldn't leave his room," said Gonzalez.
Her tearful testimony ended late Thursday afternoon.