Mother accused of abusing her autistic son arrested 5 years after child drowning allegations

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A mother has been charged after being accused of injuring her 4-year-old son who has autism, and it is not the only time she's been accused of abusing her children.

Brittany Natasha Jasmine, 27, was arrested Thursday. She was charged with injury to a child in October.

According to court documents, Jasmine left her two younger sons, ages 1 and 4, with a guardian who took the 4-year-old to the hospital in September. The child had bite marks on his thighs, bruises on his body, swelling on his stomach, and a black eye, documents say.

Medical staff told officers he was underweight and still wearing a diaper because he had not been toilet trained.

The guardian told police the 1-year-old was Jasmine's favorite son and that she focused the abuse on the 4-year-old, who has autism. She also said Jasmine only wanted custody of the boys to collect welfare benefits.

Court documents say that the 4-year-old told the guardian, "mama punches me." Another couple told police that the children had to beg for food and water.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, water, water, water, mommy can I water" is what the couple remembered the children saying.

Jasmine has two older sons. In 2017, she was charged with endangering one of them. He was a year old at the time and nearly drowned at a pool in Sunnyside. Lifeguards told Houston police Jasmine repeatedly dunked him underwater until he lost consciousness. The boy had to be revived. The charge was later dismissed because prosecutors said they could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

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According to court records, charges were dropped 5 years ago against her after she allegedly attempted to drown one of her older sons at the time.

On Friday, ABC13 found Jasmine's older sons, now 6 and 8, at their grandmother's house.

She said they are safe and thriving. She tells ABC13 that she has not spoken to her daughter.

"Straighten up her life and get better because she's got four boys she needs to commit herself with and try to straighten her life out," Joyce Wallace, said.

Jasmine remains in jail on a $30,000 bond.

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