BARSTOW, Calif. (VVNG.com) – A Barstow woman, Enid Rodriguez Avila, has been arrested in connection with a horrific case of child abuse involving a 3-year-old girl, the Barstow Police Department (BPD) reports.
The investigation began on November 13, 2024, when the Barstow Police received an urgent call from Barstow Community Hospital. Hospital staff had reported that the child, who was unresponsive and not breathing, was brought in by her stepmother.
Upon examining the child, doctors discovered extensive injuries across the girl’s body, including to her head and face. Medical staff managed to resuscitate the child and quickly transferred her to Loma Linda University Medical Center for further treatment due to the severity of the injuries.
At Loma Linda University, medical professionals found that the child had suffered multiple strokes due to a significant brain hemorrhage, which necessitated the removal of part of her skull.
Further investigation, led by forensic pediatricians, uncovered both recent and past injuries, suggesting ongoing abuse. Evidence indicated that the injuries were a result of prolonged mistreatment.
Detective Gemma Day and the BPD team conducted a thorough investigation, consulting with experts, interviewing witnesses, and executing search warrants. The investigation ultimately determined that the child’s stepmother, 32-year-old Enid Rodriguez Avila, was solely responsible for the child’s injuries.
A warrant for Avila’s arrest was issued, and after months of searching, she was located and arrested on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at her workplace in Victorville.
Avila was booked into the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on multiple charges, including child abuse causing paralysis, child torture, and attempted murder.
