Police say a Texas woman starved her then 4-month-old daughter and fooled people into believing that the baby had a rare disease in order to make a profit. She’s also accused of shaving her son’s head and pretending the boy had cancer to gain additional funds.
Dallas News reports that Katelyn Christina Carnline, 28, of Milano, Texas, raised a little over $2,000 on the fundraising website, You Caring, from unsuspecting donors, while depriving her baby girl of food and shaving her toddler son’s head in order to make them appear sick.
Katelyn Christina Carnline had just been arrested and released on bond in March for claiming her older child had cancer….
Posted by GoFraudMe on Thursday, May 11, 2017
Carnline reportedly said that the infant girl had a rare disease known as Inborn Errors of Metabolism, a disorder which prevents the body from properly turning food into energy. To make her baby look sick, she deliberately deprived her of food and as the baby’s health worsened from lack of nutrition, Carnline subjected her to unnecessary and invasive medical tests.
On one occasion, Carline took the baby to the hospital and insisted that the little girl was having seizures. The baby was given medication, although medical care professionals couldn’t determine if what the mother said was actually true.
Three days later, Carnline returned to the hospital and said her baby was experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, and had a high fever. The baby spent a week in the hospital although doctors said the infant appeared fine. The infant gained weight during her stay in the hospital, while doctors ran tests on her.
Further, after shaving her toddler son’s head to make him appear as if he had cancer, she took him to the doctor numerous times to keep up her charade. He, too, reportedly underwent unnecessary medical procedures and tests.
After Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) began investigating, police arrested Carnline in March. She’s been charged with charged with felony injury to a child with the intent to cause serious bodily injury, and felony exploitation of a child. According to court documents, medical professionals who cared for the infant said that, “poor weight gain was the direct result of physical neglect by the defendant.”
On Tuesday, Carnline appeared before the Milam County Justice of the Peace, Sam Berry. She was denied bond and remains behind bars in the Milan County jail. Both children are in the care of family members and are healthy and thriving.
[Feature Photo: Milan County Jail/Handout]
