Only On ABC-7: 19-Month-Old Is Recovering From Broken Arms, Bruises Caused By Alleged Abuse

Nineteen-month-old Nancy-Lynne Reyes has come a long way since Las Cruces Police found her last week bleeding and disfigured from injuries allegedly caused by her mother’s boyfriend.

Family members told ABC-7 the baby had fractures in both her arms, cuts on her forearms and bruises all over her body. She was released from the University Medical Center in El Paso on Saturday afternoon and is recovering in her grandparents’ home.

“To have her here right now is the best thing in the world. She’s all smiles and just wanting to be with people. She doesn’t like being by herself,” Nancy-Lynne’s grandfather, Jerry Hernandez, said.

At first glance, Nancy-Lynne is a typical, curious little girl with big blue eyes and a smile to match. When you noticed the casts on both of her arms, it’s clear she’s dealt with more than your average toddler.

Last Thursday, Nancy-Lynne was airlifted to the hospital after police found her seriously injured from abuse police said had been going on for months.

“Who would leave her bleeding and injured and wrap her up like that and just leave her there? I can’t picture my daughter doing that,” Hernandez said.

According to Las Cruces police, the baby’s mother, Victoria Gutierrez, left the baby to get a cigarette from a neighbor and found the baby bleeding and injured when she came back. Police allege Gutierrez’s boyfriend, Juan Morales, was the one who abused the baby. Gutierrez told investigators she did not want anyone to call the police because she did not want them to take her baby away.

It was the neighbor next door who called the police after she saw the baby and a fight broke out at the apartment.

“How can you do that? You have your daughter laying on the floor bleeding, she’s crying and you’re not doing anything. It’s hard. It’s really hard to picture that. In my mind I could see her on the carpet. It’s just a tragedy,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said after hearing what his daughter allegedly allowed to happen, he doesn’t even know who she is anymore.

“I can’t forgive her for this, not for this, especially for her to stay outside smoking a cigarette and leaving her like that, no. I can’t. It’s hard because I’m losing one but I’ve gained another,” Hernandez said.

He said if the reports are true, both his daughter and her boyfriend are to blame in his eyes.

“I hold them both accountable for that. They’re both in that apartment. They’re both taking care of her, so, yeah, she’s as culpable as him,” Hernandez said.

At this point, Hernandez said he’s grateful Nancy-Lynne is alive and safe in the temporary custody of he and his wife.

“She’s been doing good. She’s sleeping, eating, she’s interacting with her uncle, her grandma, her grandpa. From when I saw her when I first walked in the hospital to now it’s like a 100 percent change in her,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said if all goes well Nancy-Lynne should get her casts off in about six week. Then he said it’ll be a joyful struggle to keep up with her when she’s running all over the place.

Unfortunately, Hernandez said he and his wife are not financially prepared to take care of Nancy-Lynne, especially after they found her mother’s apartment empty with no clothes or food for the baby. They are asking anyone who is willing to help to offer monetary donations or donations of baby items to assist them in this difficult time.

Related Stories:Only On ABC-7: Baby’s Grandparents Heartbroken By Alleged AbuseOnly On ABC-7: Neighbor Of Couple Charged With Child Abuse Speaks To ABC-7