(Beaumont Police Department)
Authorities in Texas have arrested a Beaumont man in what police describe as a deeply disturbing case of child abuse involving his girlfriend’s one-year-old daughter. An affidavit obtained by KFDM News outlines allegations of severe physical violence, extensive injuries, and attempts to conceal evidence inside the home.
Howard Walker, 29, has been charged with 1st degree Injury to a Child–Serious Bodily Injury. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. Magistrate Marc DeRouen set Walker’s bond at $1 million and ordered that, if released, he must have no contact with the victim or her family. He would also be required to wear a GPS monitor and remain confined to his home.
According to investigators, the child was found unresponsive and gasping for air before being taken to Baptist Hospital. Due to the severity of her injuries, she was later transferred to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she remains in critical condition. Medical staff documented facial fractures, a grade 5 liver laceration, pancreatic injury, active adrenal bleeding, and both internal and external bleeding.
The affidavit states the child also suffered burn marks, severe bruising, a swollen eye, and bruises to her liver. Witnesses told police they saw Walker applying a frozen orange juice can to the child’s face in an attempt to reduce swelling. Officers also reported that bleach appeared to have been used to clean blood from the residence.
The investigation began Tuesday, December 16, around 1 p.m., when Beaumont Police Department officers were called to Baptist Hospital after doctors reported treating a one-year-old girl for life-threatening injuries suspected to be caused by abuse. Hospital staff were preparing to transfer her because the injuries were so severe.
In a sworn statement included in the affidavit, an officer said: “I personally observed the victim in the emergency department. She was intubated and unresponsive with severe facial swelling, bruising to the chest and abdomen, dried blood in/around the left ear, and multiple small circular burn-like lesions and healing lacerations on the inner thighs and left arm.”
Police said the child’s mother had left the home around 9:55 a.m. to seek medical care for pregnancy-related pain, leaving the one-year-old and her three-year-old sibling in the care of Walker at a residence on Broadway Street.
When officers secured the home, they found Walker alone inside. He was detained on active municipal warrants. Investigators noted a strong smell of bleach, along with a mop and wet floors. Walker initially told officers he was not present earlier and claimed a babysitter had been caring for the child. He later changed his story and denied owning a phone. A search of the home led to the seizure of a phone that was later confirmed to belong to Walker and showed communication with the child’s mother about the incident.
Witnesses reported transporting the child to the hospital at the mother’s request. They described the girl as largely unresponsive, gasping for breath, with a swollen eye and dark marks across her body. They also described seeing patterned bruising on her face, chest, and abdomen.
During a recorded interview, Walker admitted he was the only adult in the home and was responsible for both children after the mother left. He claimed the swelling was an “allergic reaction” and said he applied ice, but could not explain the numerous injuries. Police said his statements were contradicted by surveillance alerts, call logs, and witness accounts.
Medical specialists at Texas Children’s Hospital determined the injuries were consistent with inflicted trauma requiring significant force and not accidental injuries or an allergic reaction. The affidavit notes that the patterned bruising and internal injuries occurred during the time Walker was the sole caretaker.
Walker later failed a polygraph test and attempted to implicate the child’s mother, who had previously passed a polygraph. Police said Walker had earlier stated there was no way the mother could have caused the injuries based on when she left for the hospital.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant on December 18, and Walker was taken into custody and booked into the Jefferson County Correctional Facility. The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact Beaumont Police or Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers.
