DENTON, TX, Jan. 24, 2022—Denton Police Department investigators have arrested 57-year-old Angela Downing for Murder after her 3-year-old grandson was declared dead on January 22.
On Jan. 18, officers were notified by Child Protective Services (CPS) of a severely injured child being treated at a local hospital. The grandmother reported to medical staff that the child had fallen down a flight of stairs accidentally, causing injury.
Following a thorough investigation, interviews with the child’s doctors, and a confession by Downing, it was determined the child’s injuries were not accidental. During an interview with detectives, Downing, who was the child’s legal guardian, admitted to forcefully throwing the child onto the bathroom floor and against a wall. The child sustained a skull fracture, and suffered a brain bleed and brain swelling as a result. The child was declared legally dead after doctors declared him brain dead on January 22.
This is a tragic reminder of how devastating child abuse can be, and how the relationship between suspect and victim can vary. If you suspect or know of a child who is being abused, please call the Denton Police Department at (940) 349-8181, or the Children’s Advocacy Center for North Texas at (972) 317-2818. Please always call 911 in an emergency.
