Kannapolis, North Carolina Baby Hospitalized After Being Abused by Caregiver

A three-month old Kannapolis, North Carolina (NC) baby is in the Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast fighting for her life after she was abused by her caregiver over the weekend.

According to the Kannapolis Police Department someone placed a phone call to 9-1-1 saying the baby was having trouble breathing. When emergency crews arrived at the caregiver’s apartment they noticed the baby had several severe injuries. They rushed her to the Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast and notified police of possible abuse.

Kannapolis police opened an investigation and arrested the child’s aunt and caregiver, Sandra Gallardo Petatan, after hospital workers determined the child had a broken arm, a skull fracture, and brain bleeding. Sandra Gallardo Petatan is being held on bond pending a further investigation by the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services.

As a parent you put a lot of trust in to a caregiver, especially one that is family member, and it is devastating when that trust is violated. Three-month-old baby Petatan faces a long recovery time that will undoubtedly be trying for both the child and the parents.

If you think your child has been the victim of caregiver abuse you have the right to a North Carolina (NC) Department of Social Services investigation. You can contact the Division of Child Development at 1-800-859-0829.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling traumatic brain injury and general head injuries. Check out our case results to see for yourself. Our law firm has offices in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (NC) and Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA).  Our attorneys have handled numerous head injury and brain trauma cases. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, VA, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right now—we provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube .  In addition, our lawyers proudly edit the Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard, as well as the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

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