Houston mom accused of ‘biting, chewing’ baby's face because she was jealous of him

HOUSTON

A 20-year-old mother is accused of abusing her 1-year-old son because she was jealous and thought his dad loved him more than her, according to court documents. Lessielee Ann King was charged with felony injury to a child. The baby’s father told investigators with the Humble Police Department that he grew concerned after finding various unexplained bruises on his little boy’s body.

The father said the bruises only surfaced when King was alone with him, so that made him suspicious. The father said on September 18, 2012, there were no bruises on his son when he put the baby to bed. But when he arrived home from work the next morning, he discovered a bite mark on the baby’s right cheek. That wasn’t the first time the child sustained such injuries, the father said. Afraid to leave the baby with King, the father told investigators he asked his friend to move in with them for a few months and to monitor King’s interactions with the child. 

The friend confirmed his suspicions. The friend said he did not think King had a motherly bond with the child because she showed no affection toward him. The friend also said he witnessed King slapping the baby “too hard” on the face, legs and arms, investigators said. The boy’s paternal grandmother told investigators she found severe bruising on the baby’s thigh in December 2011. The grandmother said she later learned later that King allegedly spanked the baby with a hard-soled sandal, but never reported the incident. The grandmother told investigators she felt King was “ornery and evil-spirited.” The child’s father said he believes King has an anger management problem and her jealousy was the reason for the abuse. He gave investigators an audio recording of King telling him that she thought he only loved their son, and not her. 

Investigators were also given photographs taken when the child was younger that showed significant bruising on his left eye and right thigh. When investigators asked King about the bite mark on the baby's cheek, she allegedly said she never meant to leave any marks on her son. She said the toddler’s face was just a little red after she “sucked” and “chewed” on his face. Charges were filed and her bail was set at $5,000.