Louisiana couple arrested in Texas after teenager found tortured in traffic accident

A Terrebonne Parish teenager was ruthlessly burned by her mother after she told her how her mother’s fiancé had sexually abused her. The fiancé later shot her twice. They were caught with the tortured teenager in Texas when she refused her medical treatment.

It was discovered that Terrence Washington and Latonya Harris had the abused 15-year-old in their car when they wrecked it in Baytown, Texas. A traffic stop by Baytown police led to the grisly discovery of the victim on April 20. The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office began the investigation the next day.

“For someone to do something like that to their child, I can’t even put it into words or understand it,” said visibly emotional Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Tim Soignet at a news conference Thursday. He said of the child: “She was a true warrior and survivor.”

According to Soignet, Harris burned the child in mid-February after learning of her fiancé Washington’s sexual assault on the child. The injuries were third and fourth degree burns over 30% of the victim’s body. Since then, both Harris and Washington have refused medical treatment for the child, Soignet said.

Later, in the weeks before the accident, Washington shot the child on two separate days at the Thibodaux residence. The residence is located in the 400 block of West Park Ave. It has the zip code of Thibodaux, but is part of the municipality of Terrebonne.

Investigators found evidence of the shooting and neglect in the home, according to the sheriff’s office news release.

“Investigators found evidence of a gun being fired inside the home and, in addition to the blood evidence, there was a strong odor of infection and rotting flesh,” it said.

The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office said Washington also admitted to sexually abusing the child, and the office said the teen woke up to find Harris standing over her with a bottle of alcohol and a lighter. She is recovering from “extensive burns” and multiple gunshot wounds and has been to several Houston-area hospitals since her rescue.

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Washington, 41, is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, obstruction of justice, molestation of a juvenile, three counts of indecent conduct toward a juvenile and five counts of second-degree rape.

Harris, the 40-year-old mother, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and domestic violence endangering children.

Harris was arrested by the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office on May 9 after he was released from the hospital. Washington was arrested April 20 and is in custody in Texas awaiting extradition to Terrebonne.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Louisiana couple arrested after traffic accident reveals tortured teen