Texas mother dies in jail after arrest for abuse of toddler

WOOD COUNTY — According to our news partner KETK, an East Texas mother reportedly died from a cardiac event after being jailed for abusing her toddler, who was found to have severe physical injuries.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators were notified of a child abuse/neglect case of a 23-month-old toddler girl with injuries that “resulted in an emergency removal from the mother.” The sheriff’s office identified the mother as Tori Huggins who lived with her boyfriend Adam Woods. The toddler was taken to a hospital where they determined she was severely malnourished, dehydrated and had a fractured left forearm that had reportedly been broken for at least two weeks and bruises from head to toe which were in various stages of healing.

The sheriff’s office said the toddler was consuming human feces and candy wrappers as food that caused a blockage in her abdomen.

“The 23-month-old’s injuries include several bruises to her face, neck, lower back, hip, abdomen and head; small abrasions to her neck, chin, forehead, buttock, lower leg, right ankle, left shoulder and numerous small abrasions along her spine; peeling of her skin on her buttocks and genital area from a rash; two broken ribs, multiple fractures to five ribs, fractured pelvis, fractured pubic bone, fractured hip bone and a possible fractured nose; a laceration on her liver, left kidney, pancreas and a bowel obstruction.”
Wood County Sheriff’s Office

During the course of the toddler’s treatment, she received a blood transfusion and was released into CPS care after being medically cleared. A week later, the toddler received surgery the day before her second birthday due to a mass rupturing in the abdomen. The sheriff’s office said this was caused from blunt force trauma that resulted in the child having a drain tube in place.

A warrant for Huggins and Woods’ arrests for injury to a child were issued. Once Huggins was taken to jail, she reportedly told Wood County Sheriff’s Office correctional officers that she suffered from depression and was having suicidal thoughts.

Huggins was placed in a padded cell to be monitored for her safety.

On March 21 at around 5:10 a.m., Huggins was found unresponsive and correctional officers began life saving measures until EMS arrived. Huggins was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

According to the final autopsy report, Huggins’ cause of death was ruled as cardiac arrhythmia and multiple cardiac anomalies and determined the manner of death as “natural.”