Court Records: Harlingen Toddler Dies of Blunt Force Trauma
HARLINGEN – Court records show an official cause of death for a Harlingen toddler.
They said a pathologist concluded that Katalina Castaneda died of blunt force trauma to the stomach.
The pathologist, records say, concluded the child had a ruptured liver and kidney that could’ve only been caused if the child was, “punched, kicked, squeezed or stumped with great force to the abdomen.”
The 2-year-old's mother, 27-year-old Samantha Lee Gonzalez, is charged with criminal negligent homicide.
Court records show Gonzalez called her mother-in-law for advice before calling 91116 minutes later.
Records show the child showed physical signs of abuse. She had bruising throughout her body and was underweight.