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Texas Mother Accused of Mutilating Baby

Posted on: Friday, 11 May 2007, 18:00 CDT

By JUAN A. LOZANO

HOUSTON - A mother who claimed the family dog tore off her baby son's genitals was arrested Friday and accused of mutilating the boy herself with a sharp instrument.

Katherine Nadal, 25, was led away in handcuffs while awaiting a court hearing on custody of the 3-month-old boy, Holden Gothia. She was charged with injury to a child and held on $100,000 bail.

Child-welfare authorities said she told social workers she woke up from a nap March 13 to find that her small dachshund had attacked her son.

But a veterinarian and a doctor agreed the dog did not cause the injuries, because there was no blood or human tissue on the animal or in its mouth, police said.

Police said in court papers that the mother had used a sharp instrument to cut off the boy's genitals. The instrument was not identified.

Nadal's attorney had no comment.

Nadal had a history of prescription drug abuse and tested positive for cocaine and methadone the day after Holden was mutilated, authorities said.

She has been forbidden to see her son since the injuries occurred in March.

"Given what we know today, we will probably work toward terminating her parental rights and reuniting the child with his father or another relative," said Harris County Child Protective Services spokeswoman Estella Olguin.

The baby has years of reconstructive surgery and other operations ahead of him, said Daniel Sanders, an attorney for Camden Gothia, the baby's father.

The dog has since been released by authorities and adopted.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

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