this is bad, but i'm afraid it's not even the worst case like this of the week.
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local ... 81024.html
Quote:
Bond Denied For Woman Accused Of Killing Daughter
Authorities Say 5-Year-Old Girl Endured Years Of Abuse And Neglect
SKOKIE - Bond was denied Monday morning for a woman accused of killing her 5-year-old daughter by slamming her head against a wall.
A Cook County judge also refused to allow Mila Petrov to leave jail to attend the funeral of her daughter, Melanie Beltran.
On Sunday, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said that in his experience, he could not remember coming across something as “violent and despicable” as what Petrov allegedly did to her daughter.
"She was brutally murdered by her mother, these were the acts of a despicable animal," said Dart.
According to Dart, Petrov confessed to slamming Melanie's head against a wall on March 14 at their home in unincorporated Maine Township, knocking Melanie unconscious. Dart says the beating occurred when Melanie got sick after eating some pizza.
When the child's father arrived at the apartment around 7:15 p.m., he called police. Melanie was rushed to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, suffering from severe head trauma.
Melanie was placed on life support, but never regained consciousness and she was pronounced dead the next day.
Dart said Melanie endured horrific abuse for about three years.
"This child was routinely tied up. The photographs will show the ligature marks all over her body. The bruises were too numerous to count; cigarette burns. The child was forced to eat jalapeño peppers, Tabasco sauce. The child was forced to drink out of the toilet. The mother would not give her water,” Dart said.
"The child wet the bed recently and the mother, to teach her a lesson, scalded her and gave her second-and third-degree burns throughout her body," Dart added.
According to the medical examiner's office, an autopsy found Melanie had suffered multiple injuries and blunt trauma to the head. Additionally, her death was caused by child abuse and "failure to thrive due to parental neglect."
A neighbor said she never heard a sound from the apartment. She did not know seven children lived there, but had talked to the mother.
"She was a very nice lady, very sweet," said Rosa Daoud. "We're all shocked that this happened."
Petrov gave birth to another child at Westlake Hospital the same day Melanie died. Dart said Melanie had seven siblings, including the newborn, but none of them appeared to have suffered any abuse.
Those seven children are now in the custody of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
As for the father, Dart said there is an ongoing investigation, but he has not been charged at this time.
The sheriff's department is also now looking into the death of another of Petrov's children nine years ago. That death was originally blamed on SIDS.
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