DUSON, La. — On Tuesday, July 18, 2023, Duson Police Officers arrested Angel Duhon, 34, following an investigation into injuries sustained by her 4-year-old daughter on Monday, July 17, 2023.
Friends of Duhon called 911 to report that the child had either jumped or fallen out of a truck and then been run over by the vehicle in the 200 block of F Street, and that the mother was refusing to get the child the medical attention she needed, authorities say.
An ambulance transported the child to Oschner's Lafayette General Hospital, where the child was in severe pain and unable to stand, walk or move without assistance.
Duhon admitted that she did not seek medical attention in order to avoid interaction with officials who might take this child from her custody, according to the Duson Police Department.
Doctors confirmed that this child suffered extremely painful injuries consistent with being struck by or jumping from a vehicle.
Duhon was arrested for cruelty to a juvenile for not seeking immediate medical attention for the child.
The child was taken into state custody and placed in the immediate care of foster parents at about 11 p.m. Tuesday night, as ordered by a district judge. This is the 5th child to be removed from Duhon's custody.
The investigation into the cause of the injuries, whether an accident or part of another crime, is ongoing. The mother is currently unwilling or unable to identify the person driving the vehicle that caused the child's injuries, officials report.
Additional arrests are possible.
