Burned and Beaten Girl in Hospital; Father Held

A severely abused 3-year-old girl--malnourished, bruised and scarred by cigarette burns--was removed from a South Los Angeles home early Saturday and her father arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse.

The girl was in stable condition at an undisclosed hospital, where she was scheduled to undergo tests to determine whether she also is suffering from cocaine ingestion.

The girl’s father, Venus Berthomieux, told police that the girl “might have been exposed to cocaine,” said Los Angeles Police Officer Gil Curtis. The father did not elaborate, Curtis said.

Berthomieux and his live-in girlfriend, Martha Germany, both 30, are both being held on $3,000 bail on the child abuse allegation.

Police did not release the name of the girl.

Paramedics were called to the couple’s home on 49th Street, near the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, about 2 a.m. by a report that the girl had accidentally swallowed rubbing alcohol. The rescue crew called police after observing the girl’s scars and bruises, Curtis said.

“She’s pretty much a 3-year-old human punching bag,” said Sgt. Thomas Jones. A doctor who examined the girl called it one of the worst cases of child abuse that he had ever seen, Curtis said.

Scars and bruises indicated the girl had been beaten, police said. Doctors told officers they found cigarette burns and marks indicating the girl may have been tied up with a belt. One arm appeared to have broken and healed improperly, leading authorities to suspect she may never have received medical treatment for it, Curtis said.

One of the girl’s hands was taped so that it was locked into a fist. Germany told police the restraint was designed to keep the child from scratching a rash, Curtis said.

The child will remain under medical care and in protective custody, at least until the case is resolved, police said.