Two people have been arrested in Texas in connection with what police claimed was one of the worse cases of child sexual assault they had ever dealt with.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters that officers had been called to a home in San Antonio after receiving reports that a one-year-old girl had been attacked by dogs. When they arrived at the scene, they discovered the child, but determined the injuries did not correspond to dog bites.
“I can’t even begin to describe to you the level of depravity that went into this crime,” Mr Salazar said, according to News 4 San Antonio.
“There are certain cases that we carry with us, that make us lose sleep at night. This is one of those cases. The child did suffer stab wounds to her upper body, but additionally to her private areas of her body.”
Animal Care Services found that the dogs at the home were not aggressive, the San Antonio Express-News reported, and medical staff saw that the girl was stabbed multiple times and brutally sexually assaulted, not bitten by dogs.
The child was immediately taken to hospital and is now in a stable condition. The office said a couple had been arrested over the attack.
The man has been identified as 23-year-old Isaac Andrew Cardenas. Mr Cardenas has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. His bond has been set at $300,000.
His girlfriend was identified as 22-year-old Crystal Herrera. Ms Herrera has been charged with injury to a child serious bodily injury by omission.
It is not clear whether either of the individuals has had the opportunity enter a plea or if they have been assigned legal representation.
