Mom and male relative arrested after 3-year-old boy was tortured, authorities say

A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department vehicle seen in this undated file photo posted online by the department.

A San Bernardino woman and her relative were arrested for alleged abuse of a 3-year-old hospitalized with multiple injuries, despite trying to blame his injuries on a “drug deal” gone wrong.

On Sunday, the child, whose identity has not been released, was taken to the emergency room at San Bernardino Community Hospital by his mother, Destiny Christine Haro, 26, the County Sheriff’s Department said. San Bernardino in a press release.

Haro took the child to seek medical attention while his relative, Robert Kelly Ursulo, 28, who the boy lived with, reported to deputies that he had been “physically assaulted in the course of a drug transaction by a man” who also entered the child’s bedroom and physically assaulted the boy, authorities said.

“Later during the investigation, it was found that the man who had assaulted Ursulo had not assaulted the minor victim,” who was not present when police arrived, authorities said.

Instead, the source of the boy’s injuries to his “head, chest, back, arms, legs and genitals” was Ursulo himself, with whom Haro had left the child six weeks previously, authorities said.

“Haro did not conduct any security checks on the victim, either personally, or by friends, family, or law enforcement,” the statement said.

The boy was eventually transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center Children’s Hospital for treatment, and is in stable condition. He was taken into custody by San Bernardino County Children and Family Services.

Haro was arrested for child abuse or endangerment and child abandonment. Ursulo was arrested for torture, child abuse or endangerment and false imprisonment.

Both are being held at the Central Detention Center on $100,000 bail. Jail records show Haro also faces a charge of battery against a spouse, ex-spouse or date, and that bond is set at $10,000.

Both are scheduled to appear in San Bernardino Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.

Anyone with information is asked to call 909-387-3545. To report information anonymously, call WeTip at 888-78-CRIME.