Bakersfield dad accused of attacking child

[Faith]

A Bakersfield father is accused of biting out one of the eyes of his small child and similarly mutilating the other eye, leaving the child blind.

After attacking the child, 34-year-old Angel Vidal Mendoza Sr. quickly left his apartment in a wheelchair, entered a backyard of a nearby vacant home and attacked his own legs with an ax, severely injuring himself, Bakersfield police reported.

The child, 4-year-old Angelo Mendoza Jr., later told police, "My daddy ate my eyes."

Doctors at Mercy Hospital said it is unknown whether the child will regain vision in his right eye.

Child Protective Services cannot discuss the case, CPS program director Brian Parnell said. But in cases of serious abuse, the child is taken into protective custody, he said.

Some foster homes have specialized medical training, but more such people are needed, he said.

The boy's mother, Desirae Marie Bermudez, 23, was not present during the incident. There is a $15,000 warrant for her arrest for failing to complete a drug treatment program in late 2008, court documents say.

A search warrant report said the father "was displaying symptoms of being under the influence of PCP."

Both he and Bermudez were charged with being under the influence of PCP in a 2006 criminal case. Both pleaded no contest to child endangerment charges in that case, records say.

So why was the boy still living with the father?

CPS officials say there has to pretty much be serious physical abuse -- major bruises or broken bones -- before a child is taken away from his parents automatically.

In cases where parents are using drugs, CPS will definitely check on the child, Parnell said. But they won't necessarily remove the child. That all depends on the extent of the drug abuse or the availability of other care -- relatives or neighbors -- for the children, he said.

The incident happened in the early evening of April 28 at the apartment the father and son share at 422 Ohio Drive near Terrace Way and Madison Street in southeast Bakersfield.

Police and search warrant reports say:

On the morning of April 28, Mendoza asked neighbor Elizabeth Rodriguez, 36, for a ride to a work-related appointment later in the day.

At 6 p.m., she sent her 12-year-old son to get Mendoza. The boy said Mendoza opened his door slightly and looked nervous, but didn't let him in. Mendoza said he would be right out.

But a few minutes later, Rodriguez saw Mendoza rolling his wheelchair quickly away.

The 12-year-old boy and another neighbor went to Mendoza's apartment and discovered the child on the floor.

Meanwhile, witnesses told police a man was yelling and screaming in a wheelchair from the backyard and hitting his legs with an ax.

Mendoza, who remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail, is charged with mayhem, torture, child cruelty and inflicting an injury to a child.

He's scheduled for a May 20 hearing.

His criminal history dates back to 1998 and includes convictions for drugs, battery, check forgery and a misdemeanor child endangerment.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/loca...g-out-sons-eye

[Faith]

It's things like this that make me wanna murder some people. It was very sad to read this in the morning news.

[Big C]

Give him the gas chamber!

[Hollow]

Originally Posted by Faith

The child, 4-year-old Angelo Mendoza Jr., later told police, "My daddy ate my eyes."

talk about slaughtered innocence. that man doesn't stand a chance at life.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by FSU

Give him the gas chamber!

No, put the electric chair INSIDE the gas chamber!!

[ZeldaGilroy]

This story makes me sick. That poor little boy is certainly in my prayers.

[dawsongirl]

Originally Posted by Faith

CPS officials say there has to pretty much be serious physical abuse -- major bruises or broken bones -- before a child is taken away from his parents automatically.

In cases where parents are using drugs, CPS will definitely check on the child, Parnell said. But they won't necessarily remove the child. That all depends on the extent of the drug abuse or the availability of other care -- relatives or neighbors -- for the children, he said.

That is so ****ed up wrong. OMG I hate this world.

[dawsongirl]

Don't give him a trial...just throw him to the wolves and have them eat his eyes out.

[PZelda]

Holy ****, that is one messed up guy. The mother sounds like a real winner herself. How'd she make it to 23 with such a severe lack of oxygen to her brain??

[Marvo301]

There is obviuously something very wrong with the system when these people can have prior for convictions for drugs, battery, and child endangerment and the authorities didn't deem it necessary to remove this child from the home. What does it take before the child's safety becomes an issue? When did the criminals rights become more important than those of the victim. It makes me sick!!!!!

[catlover79]

^ Marv, I couldn't have put it better myself.

[robyrob]

that whole story is just crazy, that poor kid


- i don't understand the lure of angeldust/PCP at all; I imagine some skeezy-looking drug dealer comes up to you and says, "Hey, I've got this highly addictive stuff that will make you think you can fly, mutilate yourself and want to eat your children's eyeballs ...wanna try it?"

[MickeyMac]

Skip the trial, take this f**ker straigh to the electric chair.

[Chocoholic]

Give this sicko the death penalty! He does not deserve to live for another second. I'm tired of these monsters being allowed to have children!

[dawsongirl]

I watched a news blurb of this story and the Rodriguez guy...not the 12 year old though...said he saw the guy hacking at himself with the ax but didn't know or realize that he did all that to his child. He said had he known, he'd have let him chop his legs of instead of intervening.

http://www.kcci.com/video/19492009/index.html