Mom ‘Steamed’ Face of Baby Daughter Because She Wanted a Boy: Police

Content warning: This story contains disturbing details of alleged child abuse.

A Utah woman has been arrested on child abuse charges after she allegedly burned her infant daughter’s face and taped her mouth shut, per authorities.

Lizbeth Hurtado-Breton, 36, was arrested in Midvale, Utah, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, in connection with the alleged abuse of her 4-month-old, the Unified Police of Greater Salt Lake confirms to PEOPLE.

Police were notified by child and family services after the infant was taken to a children’s hospital with severe burns, KSL and KUTV reported.

The case worker reported the baby had multiple bone fractures and a brain bleed, among other severe injuries, the outlets reported, citing court documents. The case worker said the injuries were in different stages of healing.

The child’s father alleged to police that Hurtado-Breton tortured the child because she had wanted a baby boy; the father alleged that she had not been as “awful” to the other children, according to authorities, citing a police booking affidavit.

He further alleged that Hurtado-Breton “held the baby over steam, then wiped the baby’s face with a napkin, which wiped off skin,” the outlets reported, citing the affidavit.

On one occasion, the man alleged, he returned from work to find the infant’s mouth taped because, Hurtado-Breton told him, the child would not stop crying.

“The father reported witnessing Lizbeth shoving a baby bottle down the baby’s face causing the baby to choke on the milk and not be able to breathe,” read part of an arrest report cited by the outlets.

Authorities were provided photos showing the baby with a tape over her mouth and a video of the mom allegedly force-feeding the baby, the arrest report alleges.

The woman allegedly said she was trying to relieve the child of congestion when she held her over a “cooking pot” and that while her own hands were feeling very hot, “she did not think about how the steam would feel on (the girl’s) face,” investigators alleged in court documents, per KSL and KUTV.

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Hurtado-Breton is facing charges of child torture and two counts of aggravated child abuse, the Unified Police of of Greater Salt Lake confirms to PEOPLE. She was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail.

Plea and attorney information for the woman were not immediately available.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.