A critically injured 7-year-old girl will most likely suffer permanent brain damage, if she survives at all, according to prosecutors and court documents.
The child suffered the injuries when she was beaten by her mother, according to police.
A disturbing account of the abuse suffered by the daughter of Emperatiz Meza-Reyna, 21, was released in court documents Tuesday, including the mother's statement to police that she was glad she was arrested in 2008 because she thought she would kill her daughter.
The girl's most recent head injury was so severe that "doctors had to remove a flap of (the girl's) skull to alleviate the pressure and save her life," according to the charges. In the doctors' opinion, the girl "will almost certainly suffer permanent brain damage or brain dysfunction as a result of the inflicted head injury."
As of late Tuesday, the girl was reportedly still in extremely critical condition.
Meza-Reyna was charged in 3rd District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, as well as felony and misdemeanor child abuse. She was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail last week, where she remains on $500,000 bail.
On July 22, Meza-Reyna and the girl's stepfather took the little girl to Pioneer Valley Hospital. During a CT scan, the girl went into cardiac arrest, according to court documents.
Detectives who were called to the hospital noted the girl's left eye was "extremely swollen and bruised," there were multiple bruises on her left leg and ankle, bite marks and bruises on her chest, a bite mark on her stomach and bruises on her buttocks, the charges state. There was also evidence her collarbone had been broken previously and was healing.
Doctors said the girl's head injuries were consistent with "a massive blow or blows," such as a person struck with a baseball bat or a board, or a person's head being swung onto a hard surface, court documents state.
In January 2008, Meza-Reyna was arrested by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office for investigation of abusing the same girl.
Although the beating wasn't as severe, the child suffered injuries consistent with blows to the head, according to court documents. Meza-Reyna was charged in that case with four counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony, in addition to simple assault. She later pleaded guilty to two reduced charges of child abuse, a third-degree felony, and received a suspended prison sentence, given credit for her jail time served and placed on probation.
At the time, Meza-Reyna told investigators she was "glad she was arrested because she was afraid she may kill her daughter," according to court documents. She admitted to detectives she put her hands around her daughter's neck one time and strangled her to the point the girl wet her pants, prosecutors said. She said she would also cover her daughter's mouth and pinch her nose for two minutes.
Meza-Reyna also told investigators in 2008 that she bit her daughter because she was crying and that she knew if her actions weren't stopped, "she will kill her," according to the charges.
Investigators say the injuries in 2008 were caused by biting and hitting with a belt and a cable tied in knots.
The little girl and Meza-Reyna's two other children were removed from the house and placed into protective custody by the Division of Child and Family Services. The daughter was recently returned to her mother.
e-mail: preavy@desnews.com