A Texas man has been apprehended by authorities after allegedly inflicting severe physical harm on his six-week-old daughter. Rodolfo Rosette was arrested on Monday and charged with a first-degree felony for injury to a child, according to court documents. In Texas, this charge carries a potential life sentence in a state correctional facility.
The infant was rushed to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth earlier this month, presenting with a series of grave injuries. Medical professionals identified the injuries as consistent with child abuse, prompting them to alert the Abilene Police Department.
The baby girl’s injuries were extensive, including fractures to her rib, femur, and tibia. She also had a torn frenulum, which is the tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth, and multiple bruises across her body. The infant’s ribs had been fractured at least 17 times in her short life, with the injuries at various stages of healing, suggesting ongoing abuse.
Medical staff also discovered blood in the child’s feces and vomit, and noted that she was significantly underweight for her age. During an interview with investigators, Rosette reportedly confessed to becoming “frustrated” with the baby and gripping her too tightly, which likely resulted in the most recent rib fractures.
Rosette also allegedly admitted to strapping his daughter into her car seat so tightly that she cried out in pain. Upon inspection, police officers reported that the car seat straps were adjusted so tightly that they could barely fit their hands between the strap and the seat.
Authorities suspect that Rosette fractured the infant’s legs by pulling them with excessive force in an attempt to stimulate a bowel movement. He reportedly told investigators that he jerked the baby’s legs too hard when she failed to fully extend them. The child’s torn frenulum is believed to have been caused by Rosette forcing a bottle into her mouth.
The infant was removed from Rosette’s care and, after three weeks, police reported that she had not sustained any new injuries and was gaining weight. Rosette is currently detained in the Taylor County Jail with bail set at $100,000.