SORRY IF THIS IS A REPOST......
Texas Mother Accused of Mutilating Baby
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 11, 2007
Filed at 9:26 p.m. ET
HOUSTON (AP) -- A mother who claimed the family dog tore off her baby son's
genitals was arrested Friday and accused of mutilating the boy herself with
a sharp instrument.
Katherine Nadal, 25, was led away in handcuffs while awaiting a court hearing
on custody of the 3-month-old boy, Holden Gothia. She was charged with injury to a child
and held on $100,000 bail.
Child-welfare authorities said she told social workers she woke up from a nap March 13 to
find that her small dachshund had attacked her son.
But a veterinarian and a doctor agreed the dog did not cause the injuries, because there
was no blood or human tissue on the animal or in its mouth, police said.
Police said in court papers that the mother had used a sharp instrument to cut off the
boy's genitals. The instrument was not identified.
Nadal's attorney had no comment.
Nadal had a history of prescription drug abuse and tested positive for cocaine and
methadone the day after Holden was mutilated, authorities said.
She has been forbidden to see her son since the injuries occurred in March.
''Given what we know today, we will probably work toward terminating her parental
rights and reuniting the child with his father or another relative,'' said Harris County
Child Protective Services spokeswoman Estella Olguin.
The baby has years of reconstructive surgery and other operations ahead of him,
said Daniel Sanders, an attorney for Camden Gothia, the baby's father.
The dog has since been released by authorities and adopted
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/A...=1&oref=slogin
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4797662.html
Texas Mother Accused of Mutilating Baby
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 11, 2007
Filed at 9:26 p.m. ET
HOUSTON (AP) -- A mother who claimed the family dog tore off her baby son's
genitals was arrested Friday and accused of mutilating the boy herself with
a sharp instrument.
Katherine Nadal, 25, was led away in handcuffs while awaiting a court hearing
on custody of the 3-month-old boy, Holden Gothia. She was charged with injury to a child
and held on $100,000 bail.
Child-welfare authorities said she told social workers she woke up from a nap March 13 to
find that her small dachshund had attacked her son.
But a veterinarian and a doctor agreed the dog did not cause the injuries, because there
was no blood or human tissue on the animal or in its mouth, police said.
Police said in court papers that the mother had used a sharp instrument to cut off the
boy's genitals. The instrument was not identified.
Nadal's attorney had no comment.
Nadal had a history of prescription drug abuse and tested positive for cocaine and
methadone the day after Holden was mutilated, authorities said.
She has been forbidden to see her son since the injuries occurred in March.
''Given what we know today, we will probably work toward terminating her parental
rights and reuniting the child with his father or another relative,'' said Harris County
Child Protective Services spokeswoman Estella Olguin.
The baby has years of reconstructive surgery and other operations ahead of him,
said Daniel Sanders, an attorney for Camden Gothia, the baby's father.
The dog has since been released by authorities and adopted
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/A...=1&oref=slogin
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4797662.html
