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Gardena couple pleads innocent to charges of torturing their baby
son
Thursday February 06, 2003
GARDENA, Calif. (AP) A couple facing torture charges for
allegedly assaulting their 2 {-month-old son, who suffered such
severe injuries that prosecutors said he must have been handled
``like a football,'' pleaded innocent Thursday.
Ron Bahnsen, 22, and his girlfriend, Desiree Soto, 23, both of
Gardena, are being held on bail of $1 million. They are charged
with torture and child abuse, with the allegation of causing great
bodily injury to their son, Christopher. A bail review hearing is
scheduled for Feb. 13.
If convicted, Bahnsen and Soto could face life in prison.
``Basically, you would have to handle a baby like a football for
it to look like this,'' said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the
Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
The infant remained hospitalized Thursday in critical and
unstable condition with brain injuries and broken bones including
a broken clavicle, two broken legs and two broken ankles,
authorities said.
Doctors are unable to operate on the infant and stem his
internal bleeding because of his unstable condition, Robison added.
The severity of the injuries, and the fact that doctors found
evidence of prior physical abuse, led prosecutors to charge the
couple with torture, said Sgt. Dave Mathieson of the Gardena Police
department.
``It's more than just child abuse,'' Mathieson said.
``I wouldn't understand why anybody would do this to their
child,'' police Lt. Rodney Tanaka said. ``It's really sickening to
think how you can take a child that has no defenses and no
mechanism to protect himself and no way to cry out for help, and do
this.''
Officials at Gardena Memorial Hospital called police Friday
after the couple brought the baby to the hospital. The baby has
been transferred to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
The boy's grandfather, Ray Bahnsen, said one of the mother's
friends made an allegation against the child's father, accusing him
of hurting the child before.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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