Mother, boyfriend charged in abuse

8-month-old was found to have multiple fractures

It was a family member who first noticed there was something wrong with the baby.

Two months ago, he was 6 months old and trying to walk. But, his left leg couldn’t support his weight. It buckled under him, a relative told authorities.

The baby’s mother, 18-year-old Kardea Lockett, and her boyfriend brushed the relative’s concerns aside. The baby — who they both called their son — was fine, they said.

But the child wasn’t fine. His leg was fractured.

Two months later, authorities accused Lockett and her boyfriend, Nicholas Tyler, 19, of purposefully injuring their now 8-month-old infant.

The pair was charged Friday with injury to a child by omission and reckless injury to a child with seriously bodily injury, according to the Harris County Sheriff ’s Office.

Lockett was arrested Tuesday. She is in the Harris County Jail on $20,000 bail, according to the sheriff ’s office.

Tyler was still at large Wednesday afternoon.

Broken bones

Authorities were tipped off to potential abuse by injuries that led Lockett and Tyler to take the baby on March 14 to the emergency room at the Northwest Medical Center.

His skull was fractured for the second time. That was just the beginning. A CAT scan found more than 20 different forms of healed and new fractures, according to the sheriff’s office.

Lockett and Tyler had allegedly resisted taking the baby to the medical center. A different relative demanded they get the child medical care.

The baby’s head was swollen. He had been inconsolable, relatives told deputies.

The couple told staff at the medical center that the baby’s most recent injury — his fractured head — came from falling from an ottoman onto a carpeted floor, according to a sworn deputy statement.

But the baby’s injuries were more consistent with being struck by a blunt object on the head, according to court documents.

Bones in his arm, elbow, feet and hands had been broken. He also had rib and vertabrae fractures, according to court documents. His injuries were in different processes of healing.

Lockett and Tyler denied hurting the baby.

Constantly on move

The baby had had a turbulent upbringing since he was born in July 2016. Lockett and Tyler began a romantic relationship a month after the baby was born, prompting the aunt with whom Lockett was living to force Lockett to leave the aunt’s home.

Since then, the trio had lived with relatives and friends until they wore out their welcome. Between March 10 and March 14, they had stayed in three different Houston and Harris County apartments.

The baby was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital for further treatment.

He was later released from the hospital and is in the custody of a relative, said Tiffani Butler, a spokeswoman for the Houston region of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

On Tuesday, a magistrate ordered emergency protection for the 8-month-old that prohibited Lockett from being within 200 feet of the child.

Tyler managed to dodge authorities. He has at least one separate, open warrant in Harris County, according to the sheriff’s office. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to his charging or arrest. The public can contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).