Mary Martinez Arrested: Milwaukee Woman Accused Of Child Abuse, Neglect Of 7-Year-Old Boy

Child abuse is a huge epidemic around the world with many people currently imprisoned for the heinous crime. While there are many organizations that help aid in the protection of children, many victims slip through the cracks of the system. It is now being reported that a Latina woman is currently facing child abuse charges.

According to FOX News Latino, 47-year-old Mary Martinez have been charged in connection with the death of 7-year-old, Trevion Winningham. Winningham was brought from a residence near 19th and National Avenue to a hospital on Tuesday, November 29th. The child was suffering from numerous injuries. The child died a few hours later.

Martinez was also arrested with 44-year-old Etter Hughes. Authorities state that Hughes reportedly "claimed to have discovered Trevion W. unresponsive" when she woke up. Hughes also "handed a handwritten note" to a security official at St. Luke's. It blamed the 9-year-old boy "for inflicting the injuries on Trevion’s body."

Medical officials shared that Winningham’s "body was marked with significant signs of trauma." Police were immediately notified due to the concern for severe child physical abuse. After a pulse was regained, the boy was taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

"Trevion was suffering severe child physical abuse. The multiple, too numerous to count, patterned injuries throughout Trevion’s body were inflicted with sufficient force to break the skin." They also noted the boy was "also the victim of severe malnutrition." They said, "The severe abuse and neglect resulted in Trevion‘s death."

According to the complaint, Hughes also had with her a 9-year-old boy at the time she stopped at St. Luke's Medical Center. That child was also "diagnosed as the victim of severe, life-threatening malnutrition and severe child physical abuse," the complaint read.

In response to the call from St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee police responded to the hospital and interviewed Hughes.

"During the initial interview, Defendant Hughes denied physically abusing (the 9-year-old boy) or Trevion W. Defendant Hughes had no explanation for (the 9-year-old boy's) and Trevion W.’s malnourished state."

As one detective interviewed Hughes, another talked with Hughes' son. He "disclosed seeing Defendant Mary Martinez abuse both Trevion W. and the 9-year-old boy on multiple instances using her hands and a shoe." The son also "disclosed that Trevion W. and boy began losing weight over the past three weeks."

After the intial investigation, both Hughes and Martinez were arrested. The two men are being charged with child neglect resulting in death and child neglect resulting in bodily harm. Martinez is being charged with 2 counts of physical abuse of a child, repeated acts causing bodily harm which carries a penalty 15 years in prison and $50,000 in fines. Hughes is also charged with 2 counts of failure to act to prevent bodily harm to a child which carries a maximum penalty 6 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.