A babysitter has been arrested after allegedly injuring a two-year-old boy so badly, he had to have part of his skull removed.
McKinley Slone Hernandez - a 25-year-old woman from Colorado - is facing charges after authorities allege that the young boy was hospitalized for months after sustaining injuries while in her care, PEOPLE reports.
The alleged incident occurred on September 1, 2023, and resulted in Hernandez being arrested and subsequently charged with child abuse by the Lakewood Police Department.
Giovanni DiStefano, the young victim, endured life-threatening injuries that led to his admission to the ICU for an extended period. His father, Anthony DiStefano, told PEOPLE about the moment he first saw his son in the hospital, saying: "I thought he was dead."
Anthony says that he and Giovanni's mother, Stefanie Reichert, still haven't been able to "process" what happened. "It all happened so fast," he said.
Mom Stefanie told KDVR back in November that Giovanni was injured so badly that doctors had to remove part of his skull.
According to a Jefferson County Warrant Arrest Affidavit, Stefanie had entrusted her son to Hernandez's care on the evening of September 1.
The affidavit states that the mom had not intended to leave her son with Hernandez overnight. However, Hernandez reportedly volunteered to care for him on both August 30 and August 31, as she had recently undergone a medical procedure and believed that having the boy around could provide her with comfort during her recovery.
"I'm just in pain and he's just being a cuddle bug watching tv with me," Hernandez allegedly said in a text to the boy's mother.
However, events took a tragic turn. At 8:17PM on September 1, Hernandez then reported messaged the parents saying: "You guys need to rush to st Anthony's hospitals."
Medical professionals attending to Giovanni discovered extensive injuries, including a subdural hematoma, bruising, and signs of hemorrhaging, consistent with non-accidental trauma.
Other injuries noted in the affidavit include a slap mark on the boy's right hip, a bite mark on his right elbow, and signs of hemorrhaging on his collarbone, cheek, and nose.
Despite efforts to stabilize him, doctors expressed concerns about his long-term prognosis - fearing for his quality of life in the future.
"I had to leave the room because it was the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life," Stephanie told KDVR.
An employee at the hospital later informed officers that Hernandez had said that the boy suddenly "appeared lifeless and stopped breathing" after she had given him a bath.
Investigative efforts revealed disturbing details surrounding the incident, including surveillance footage from a Ring Doorbell camera.
The footage allegedly shows Giovanni allegedly being "pushed" from a camper and subjected to further harm by Hernandez.
Hernandez and Giovanni were with her boyfriend at the time. After checking over the young boy's injuries, he can allegedly be heard on the footage saying: "Dude, he's dead," before breaking down in tears.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family raise funds for Giovanni's medical bills. As of this writing, over $30,000 has been raised.
The GoFundMe has detailed Giovanni's road to recovery, detailing his surgery, and messages of hope from his parents.
Hernandez, who pleaded not guilty during a court appearance on March 18, remains in custody on a $100,000 bond. The court has scheduled her next hearing for May 9.
Dad Anthony says Giovanni is recovering from his injuries, but "doing better every day".
We wish Giovanni the very best in his recovery and the "long road ahead".
