MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The mother of a 2-year-old child and her roommates were arrested for allegedly repeatedly abusing the child and causing his death.
Rena Santiago, Bianca Bush, and David Heiden each appeared in court Monday on requested charges of physical abuse of a child-recklessly causing bodily harm, neglecting a child causing bodily harm, and other counts.
Officers responded Friday to an apartment on E. River Street in Two Rivers, where Gilbert Grant II was not breathing and was declared dead shortly thereafter, according to the probable cause document.
“The victim had several large bruises on his forehead, cheeks, side of his face, both legs, buttocks, back, feet and arms,” the report says.
Santiago, the child’s mother, “admitted that over the past 8 months the victim has been hit by the defendant and her two roommates. (Santiago) admitted that she and the other roommates have hit the victim with their open hands, with a shoe, and with a belt repeatedly over the last several months. (Santiago) said she witnessed all of the physical discipline and approved of it.”
She also admitted to smoking marijuana in the apartment and engaging in prostitution, both with the child in the apartment at the time.
Bush said “she did not cause any of the injuries to the victim and only slaps him on the hand with an open hand one or twice a week or tells the victim to go into timeout,” the document states.
Heiden said on Friday he spanked the victim, “then picked victim up by his sides with his hands around the victim’s torso and shook the victim with force while yelling at him to go to sleep,” the document states.
No formal charges have been filed. Bond was set at $100,000 cash for each, and all return to court May 6 for a formal initial appearance.
