Pedro Rivera & Megan Brazell - Child Abuse/Neglect/Endan
Feb 16, 2009 4:35 pm US/Eastern Del. Couple Arrested In Shocking Child Abuse Case BEAR, Del. (CBS 3) ― CBS 3 New Castle County Police arrested two adults and charged them with assault by abuse or neglect after police found the father trying to hide his brutally abused 11-year-old son in a bedroom as police were investigating a report of possible child abuse. County police received an anonymous report Saturday of possible child abuse in progress that was occurring at a residence in the Village of Windover Apartments. When police arrived, they contacted a female inside the apartment who claimed to be home alone with her two infant children. Officers then searched the residence and found the boyfriend in a rear bedroom and heard the shower running. According to police, the boyfriend stated he was disciplining his son by holding him in the tub under the cold water for nearly 40 minutes. The officers then entered the bedroom and found the small child on his hands and knees on the floor halfway into the closet area. The child was clothed but shaking and shivering. He also failed to respond verbally to the officers who inquired about injuries to the child's body. Police say the boy's hands were burned, bleeding and blistering. He also had abrasions and bruising to his face and head. The child was transported to the Christiana Hospital where he was treated for hypothermia. Doctors treated the victim for burns to his back, buttocks and hands, bruising to his head, face, arms, contusions to his head, bruising under both eyes and a hemorrhage in his left eye. The blisters on the child's hands appeared to be frostbite that was healing. The victim's father, Pedro Rivera, 29, and his girlfriend, Megan Brazell, 26, were arrested and charged with one count of abuse or neglect and endangering the welfare of a child. Rivera was also charged with possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for keeping a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia after police found more than 20 bags of marijuana inside his bedroom during a search. He was arraigned and committed to the Howard Young Prison after failing to post $39,000 secured bail. Megan Brazell was arraigned and released after she posted $22,000 secured bail. The victim remains hospitalized. http://cbs3.com/topstories/Delaware.Rivera.Brazell.2.935939.html