Four bones in her legs were fractured, and she was severely malnourished.

Her weight would have put her in the 50th percentile if she had been 2 weeks old. As it was, her life was in danger.

The baby had been staying with Janice Guidry, 55, a woman scheduled to appear in court this month for allegedly beating her 11-year-old godson with an extension cord in April.

No one seemed to notice any problems with the girl in Guidry's care until she brought her to a clinic for a checkup Oct. 20, according to court records.

Clinic workers told Guidry to take the baby to a hospital as soon as possible. Guidry did not, according to court records.

Three days later, when a Texas Child Protective Services worker came to Guidry's home in the 6000 block of Beaudry Drive in southwest Houston, the child's condition was poor, and the worker took her to a hospital.

Other charges

Guidry, also known as Janice Jenkins, was charged Tuesday in connection with the infant's injuries and was being held in Harris County Jail without bail. She faces charges of injury to a child and injury to a child by omission in connection with the baby. Those charges are in addition to the prior charge of injury to a child Guidry faces in the case involving the 11-year-old boy, for which she was out on bail.

In that case, Guidry allegedly told the boy to take off all of his clothes, then struck him with an extension cord on his arms, chest, back, face and hand, according to court records. When the boy tried to run, Guidry reached for him and scratched his chest, drawing blood, records show.

A 57-year-old man, Lonnie Verl Jenkins Sr., also allegedly beat the boy, using a wooden board with silver tape around it. Jenkins also was charged with injury to a child.

The boy told police he had been punished previously with a belt, belt buckle and wooden paddle.

After Guidry spent three days in jail for that incident, the infant's mother gave her to Guidry to raise.

Guidry told others that the child was hers.It was not clear if CPS was aware that Guidry had come to take care of the baby after she had been charged with injuring her godson.

CPS since has taken custody of the 3-month-old girl. No other children were in Guidry's care, CPS spokeswoman Gwen Carter said.

Neglect alleged

Police believe Guidry physically injured the baby by twisting or grabbing her limbs and applying pressure that caused fractures, according to court records. A doctor treating the baby told investigators that her "failure to thrive" was most likely a result of chronic neglect caused by a lack of adequate nutrition, records show.

Guidry said the injuries happend after she slipped and fell down some stairs while carrying the girl in a car seat.

zain.shauk@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Houston-woman-charged-with-starving-
injuring-2251335.php

Emphasis added by H4K Editor