BEAUMONT, Texas — As funeral services for a 5-month-old Beaumont boy were held Friday afternoon, two miles away his 27-year-old mother was being led in handcuffs to a police SUV after being charged with child abuse in connection with his death.
Quenisha Hawkins, 27, of Beaumont, was arrested Friday, December 9, 2022, on charges of injury to a child by act causing serious body injury and injury to a child by omission causing serious body injury according to a Beaumont Police spokesperson.
Police say the "omission" charge stems from her not getting her son medical treatment after he was injured.
She was taken out the backdoor of the Beaumont Police Department past reporters and cameras before being driven to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility.
At the same time, funeral services for 5-month-old JaKaiden Shaw were being held at Calvary Mortuary on 7th street in Beaumont.
Police say that Shaw was shaken "violently" causing multiple fractures, severe eye injury and brain injury.
Hawkins is being held on bonds set at $500,000 on the two first degree felony charges for a total of $1 million according to a news release.
They say evidence shows that he was shaken in this manner on more than one occasion.
A pair of Beaumont officers were flagged down at the Sunlight Manor Apartments on September 29, 2022, and told about an unresponsive baby.
The officers began CPR until Beaumont paramedics arrived and took Shaw to a Beaumont hospital by ambulance according to the news release.
Because of baby Shaw's severe life-threatening injuries he was flown by medical helicopter to a Galveston hospital.
Shaw died about a month later on October 30, 2022, in Galveston.
Detectives with the department's "Special Crimes" unit did a thorough investigation into the baby's death and concluded that he suffered from "severe abusive trauma that caused devastating injuries, ultimately leading to cardio-pulmonary arrest" the release said.
Police say his injuries were not accidental, but were inflicted on him by his mother.
The baby's injuries indicate that he was shaken so hard that he suffered multiple fractures, severe eye injure and brain injury according to police.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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