Gerardo Gonzalez, 29, was charged with serious bodily injury to a child and booked into the Harris County Jail on Friday, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
Investigators said a couple brought the unresponsive girl to a gas station in the 25000 block of Cypresswood Drive in Spring around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Deputies performed life-saving measures on the girl before she was taken to a nearby hospital, where her injuries were deemed so severe that she was airlifted to a different hospital, deputies said. There, she underwent surgery and remains critically hurt, deputies added.
While first responders worked to save the girl, investigators also went to her family's home in the 3000 block of Rendezvous Court, just a few minutes from the gas station.
Child in critical condition and parents under investigation, HCSO says
Neighbors who spoke to ABC13 described crime scene tape wrapping around the house for several hours and said that the family had only been living in the area for a few months.
The activity rattled at least one nearby business owner, who said the neighborhood is normally quiet.
"This is a really safe neighborhood. I don't have bars or shutters on my door," said Hiep Tran, a nearby store owner. "It's just a nice little middle-class area - young families, retirees. Not something you would expect. Just a nice chunk of suburbia."
The sheriff's office said an investigation is underway, and that the department remained committed to seeking justice on her behalf. The sheriff did not say whether the mother will face any charges yet.
Authorities have not released the nature of the girl's injuries.