3 charged after maintenance workers find malnourished 2-year-old with ankles duct taped, docs show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A malnourished child was reportedly found by maintenance workers at an apartment in November, and now three people are facing charges in connection with her abuse.

Court documents show Kenry Joseph Flukers, Toniesha Deshae Perkins, and Mya Jhari Breaux-McGruder are behind bars on injury to a child by omission and unlawful restraint charges.

The three are accused of taping the 2-year-old girl's ankles together inside an apartment in Humble and failing to provide her with medical and physical care.

Records show that on Nov. 28, 2023, maintenance men went into the apartment after receiving a work order to repair the dishwasher.

Once inside, the workers noticed the toddler lying on the living room floor, covered in a blanket with duct tape surrounding her ankles, and called the police.

Five other children were reportedly also inside the home in good health, but the 2-year-old was underweight and had abusive head trauma.

The child was determined to be non-verbal, and documents state that if she had stayed in those conditions one more night, she could have died. She was taken to the hospital, where it was discovered she had brain bleeds, anemia, and kidney failure as a result of the abuse.

Court records show Perkins is the child's cousin, and that she told Child Protective Services the other children were the ones who had duct taped the child.

However, during an interview with Perkins' boyfriend, Flukers, he said Perkins would tape the child to keep her out of the fridge, pantry, and trash and that the child wouldn't eat the food she was given.

Flukers, Perkins, and Breaux-McGruder had been living in the apartment for three months. They all now face almost half a million dollars in bonds combined for their charges.

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