Police arrest both parents in infant death

3-month-old boy found bruised and unresponsive

The parents of a 3-month-old boy in Brazoria County were arrested in connection with their child’s death, after police found the infant unresponsive and bruised earlier this month, authorities said Wednesday.

The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the father, 37-year-old Brian Hampson, was charged with felony child injury. The mother, Gisela Hampson, 28, was charged with abandoning/ endangering a child, also a felony, according to the news release.

The sheriff’s office said Brian Hampson had been convicted in Florida more than a decade ago of causing head trauma to a 2-month-old.

The case began on June 2 when Brazoria County police responded to a call about a child who was not breathing at an Alvin home. Deputies and a crew from Manvel EMS were unable to revive the child, Josef Hampson, who was pronounced dead at 1:48 a.m. on June 3, the news release said.

According to court documents, the infant had bruising and swelling on his head, and bruises on his eye, cheek, and nose. The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s office concluded the baby had suffered from blunt-force head trauma and a fractured skull, the news release said.

Brian Hampson told police that he fell asleep on his couch while caring for Josef and his two other young children, who had once been “taken from his and Gisela’s custody by CPS and placed with his father,” according to court documents.

Gisela Hampson told investigators that “both she and Brian went to classes and completed counseling, and the children were allowed to come back home,” documents said.

Brian Hampson said he was awakened by the crying 3-month-old, attempted to soothe him, and then eventually put him back in his swing. He said the baby stayed in his swing until his wife arrived home and found the infant not breathing.

Investigators found marijuana cigarette butts throughout the house, according to court documents. The house smelled of urine and dog feces. Gisela Hampson told investigators that she smoked marijuana with her husband and that he had been drinking, on the day of the boy’s death.

Gisela Hampson also told investigators that the couple had smoked methamphetamines, usually on a daily basis, and that she had used them before the child’s birth.

Brian Hampson is being held on a $750,000 bond. His wife is being held on $350,000 bond. The investigation is still ongoing.