Four charged in child duct-taping case

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Four people are now charged with endangering a child after a 6-year-old boy's eyes and wrists were duct taped, court records show.

Two people -- Emily Zuniga, 19, and Estaphanie Garcia, 21 -- are accused of taping the child up and keeping him from bracing for a fall. Two others -- Laura Garcia-Reyes, 42, and Maria Ruiz, 43 -- are also accused in this case for allegedly failing to assist in removing the duct tape.

Houston Police Department's Victor Senties tells abc13 a maintenance worker saw all four women in the 5800 block of Dashwood around 6pm on Monday with the boy, his face taped and his wrists taped behind his back. The worker took a picture and reported it to the complex manager, who called police.

HPD says the boy was getting into fights at school, and they couldn't control him, so they allegedly resorted to this measure.

Police say Ruiz is the boy's mother. CPS says the boy and his two siblings are in foster care. HPD says Estephanie Garcia's 1-year-old girl was also at the scene with an untreated burn on her hand. Child Protective Services placed that 1-year old and a sibling with their dad.

All of the suspects were arrested Monday and remain the Harris County Jail on $2,000 bond. A court date has not been set.