Utah mom accused of child abuse after son is found unconscious

SANDY — A Sandy mother has been arrested after her 7-year-old son was found not breathing and without a pulse in what police say is a case of child abuse

Reyna Elizabeth Flores-Rosales, 30, was arrested Tuesday for investigation of two counts of child abuse and one count of child endangerment.

On Monday, emergency crews were called to Flores-Rosales' home, 7890 S. Manzano Drive, where they found her 7-year-old son on the living room floor, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report.

She claimed her son had been in the shower for an hour, and when she went to check on him "found him unresponsive on the floor of the shower," the report states. She also stated that her son had previously been treated for burns, according to the report.

Paramedics and police officers noticed bleeding from the boy's nose and "orange-red fluid in his mouth," the report states.

"They noted multiple injuries and scars on (his) body in various stages of healing. (He) had older burns on parts of his body as well as what appeared to be scars or ligature marks on his neck. He had scrapes and cuts on his nose, ear and hands and deeper wounds on his left leg, left hand and armpit," the report states.

The boy was taken to Alta View Hospital and then flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children's Hospital where doctors found he was suffering from "significant head trauma," according to the report.

"They ruled out an accident as a possible cause. They compared the damage and the bleeding on the brain to what is seen in shaken baby syndrome," officers wrote in the report.

A witness told investigators that Flores-Rosales has been reported to the Division of Child and Family Services in the past because her son "constantly had new bruises, marks and injuries," according to police.

"Another witness reported that he would often hear Reyna screaming and yelling. Though he did not see her abuse (the boy), he believes that is what was happening," the report states.

Police noted that Flores-Rosales has no family ties to Utah, that she was planning to move on Tuesday, and that she "has a history of being a fugitive from justice and has been extradited as can be seen in her criminal history. She has also been charged with false info to police."

According to court records, Flores-Rosales was convicted of felony drug distribution in 2015. She was given a suspended one-to-15-year prison sentence and placed on probation. A warrant was also issued for her arrest in that case in 2017 for Flores-Rosales to be released to immigration officials for deportation, but that warrant was recalled in September. Court records do not indicate whether Flores-Rosales was deported.

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