Rivera Update

Apparently from media reports today, Dennis Rivera has admitted to beating the baby.

Now different sources have reported differently in the headlines regarding this case.

For example, one site said man arrested after toddler was found hurt and another station reported Man admits to deputies he savagely beat toddler.

And yet during his confession, Rivera claims he struck the child once with an open hand.

Apparently from reading the arrest affidavit, the baby had been fussy so the mom elected to smack the child in the face. When the baby continued to be fussy, mom asked Rivera to take over with their calming efforts of the child.

So Rivera being the man he is, elected to hit the baby one more time. He claims he smacked the baby with an open hand.

However, the smack was hard enough to cause the baby to become unresponsive and bleed from the mouth.

Now Rivera and Mom, attempted to revive the baby…

What did they do you ask? One of the dumbest things I think I have heard in a long time.

They elected to throw water in the baby’s face.

And why not throw water in the baby’s face, I mean after all he was unconscious and had no way to protect his own airway. Who am I to say? And why should we expect something other from them, instead of trying to figure out why the baby was “fussy” they elected to smack the baby in the face. So obviously rational thinking is not an issue with them.

When this failed to work, Rivera told mom to take the baby to the neighbors and call for help since they don’t have a phone.

At least Rivera was smart enough to have her call for help, it’s a shame they weren't smart enough to not to beat a baby.

After the 911 call, the police and paramedics arrived and the baby was airlifted to the hospital. Then the baby had to undergo emergency brain surgery.

Rivera elected to flee the scene before the police arrived. Now where does a child beater run too? Rivera ran to his mother’s home.

Mom did cooperate with the police and she helped coordinate his capture. She had it set up where Rivera could turn himself in to the police at an office depot parking lot.

Just sounds funny, violently attack a baby and then run to your mom… What a man.
Anyway, sorry about that, getting a little side tracked here.

Now this case got a little confusing at this point because the witness statements and the information in the police reports does not match up.

Neighbors reported the child was broken up badly and was covered in wires, yet none of the reports released today have indicated anything about wires or the baby being broken up. One neighbor said there was no way this could have been an accident because the baby was in such a bad condition.

Regardless of the confusion in the case, I just wonder what the court was thinking by only setting a bond of $5000. Just seems like a pretty low bond for someone that beat a baby to the point of needing emergency brain surgery.

I’m also a little confused as to why the mom has not been arrested at this point.

She as well confessed to smacking the baby in the face because he was fussy and yet she remains free.

I have been reading at different blogs and that some people think all they need is some counseling. WTF?

Why is it that when something this bad happens the first thing people think, the parents need to go to counseling.

I think they have passed the window of opportunity for counseling.

They are the cause of a baby needing emergency brain surgery.

If counseling was needed, why has no one stepped in before now? Surely there have been other issues with both mom and dad thinking the only way to calm down a fussy child is to smack the child in the face.

Update

After making this post, I was reading some other reports and it now has been reported that Rivera made his first court appearance today.

The Judge ordered that he be held in jail with no bond.

Thankfully the judge intervened and now has set an appropriate bond for Rivera.

Now the boy’s mother is reporting that she heard her son scream and ran in to rescue him and she splashed water in his face in hopes of reviving him, when that failed, she ran outside to call 911.

The boy’s mother also reports now that violence is a routine part of her relationship with Rivera. She reported today that she had been beaten at least 20 times in the past by Rivera. The attacks started after she moved here from Chicago in September.

The boy’s mother also reported she was not allowed to leave her house unless she was escorted by Rivera or his mother. She stated she feared for her safety if she attempted to leave.

Truly a sad situation and there is no easy solution to a problem like this. My sister was in a violent relationship for 7 years. She refused help and even moved further away from her family to make him happy.

He wanted her as far away from me as possible since I was still working Law Enforcement at the time. Not that it mattered, they lived in a different state, but he was fearful of me and with good reason I might add.

Finally after 7 years of trying to help her out, she was beaten severely and striped naked and when she escaped from the house she was running down the street naked on Christmas and she was later hospitalized for a week for her injuries sustained in her last attack.

Finally she decided that she had enough and finally left him. But it nearly cost her life before she decided to leave, so I can understand part of the reason she stayed in a violent relationship.

It still makes no sense whatsoever. With the resources we have available today there is no reason for anyone to live like that.

Even worse, Rivera’s mother had to be aware of what was going on, why did she not intervene? Was the mother in fear of her own son because of his violence? So it would be interesting to see what mom has to say.

This information has left me with a lot more questions than answers.