Court Documents Reveal Abuse Before OKC Toddler's Death

A probable cause affidavit shows 3-year-old Alexis Hawkins was shoved into a wooden bed and beaten with a shoe a day before she died.

Wednesday, November 2nd 2011, 1:21 pm

By: News 9


LaShauna Sewell, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – A probable cause affidavit shows 3-year-old Alexis Hawkins was shoved into a wooden bed and beaten with a shoe a day before she died.

Alexis was rushed to the hospital on Sunday, October 30. Doctors at Children's Hospital noted she was unresponsive and had bruises all over her body. She also had a "massive" skull fracture and a subdural hematoma. Doctors determined these were signs of child abuse and called police.

10/31/2011 Related Story: Mother, Her Boyfriend Arrested In Death Of OKC Toddler

Police interviewed the child's mother Victoria Phanhtharath, 22, and her boyfriend, Freddy Mendez, 24. Phanhtharath said before Alexis was taken to the hospital, Mendez had been yelling at her because she wouldn't eat. She said Mendez told her to get a shoe so he could spank the little girl.

Phanhtharath retrieved a brown, braided leather shoe and said Mendez hit the child all over her body with it. She said this was not the first time Mendez had beaten the child. She said in the past, Mendez had also picked up Alexis by the neck and "shaken her like a rag doll."

Phanhtharath said Mendez eventually told her to take care of Alexis because he did not want to deal with her. Phanhtharath said she took her daughter to a bedroom and became so frustrated she shoved the little girl, and that's when the child struck her head on a wooden baby bed.

Phanhtharath said Alexis began choking and her eyes rolled back into her head. That's when the couple took the girl to the hospital. Alexis died Monday, October 31, from her injuries.

After the interview and the toddler's death, police arrested Phanhtharath and Mendez on a complaint of first-degree murder.

 

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