Texas – In a harrowing case of child abuse in Texas, a 28-year-old man, identified as H. Walker, has been charged with first-degree felony injury to a child—serious bodily injury, after inflicting severe injuries on his girlfriend’s 1-year-old daughter. Walker now sits in the county correctional facility on a $1 million bond following what authorities describe as an “extremely violent assault” on a defenseless child left in his care.
Walker’s arrest came just two days after officers and medical staff were alerted to a severely injured infant brought to the hospital on December 16, 2025. The child, unresponsive and intubated, was quickly deemed too critical to remain in that hospital and was airlifted to a children’s hospital. Doctors found facial fractures, internal bleeding, and liver damage—injuries described as requiring significant force and consistent with inflicted trauma.
According to a sworn affidavit, the child’s mother had left the home just before 10 a.m. that day to seek medical care for pregnancy-related complications. She left her daughter and a 3-year-old sibling in Walker’s care. Roughly three hours later, she began receiving alarming messages from Walker, prompting her to send relatives to the residence. Those witnesses later told detectives they arrived to a chilling scene: the baby girl was gasping, largely unresponsive, with a swollen eye and dark marks on her face and body. Walker was seen applying a frozen orange juice can to the child’s face in a misguided attempt to reduce swelling. The injuries, however, were far beyond what a frozen can could treat. Officers noted severe facial swelling, bruises to the chest and abdomen, dried blood around one ear, burn-like lesions on the inner thighs and left arm, and healing lacerations—indications of both recent and past abuse.
When police entered the home, the smell of bleach was overwhelming. A mop and visibly wet floors suggested an attempt to clean the scene. Walker initially told officers he hadn’t been at home, then blamed an unnamed babysitter, before finally trying to shift responsibility to the child’s mother. At one point, he even denied owning a cellphone—until officers found one in the home that was used to message the mother about the girl’s condition. Walker ultimately admitted he had been alone with the child but claimed the swelling was a result of an allergy. Medical professionals dismissed that immediately. Hospital staff told investigators the infant’s injuries—including a Grade 5 liver laceration, adrenal bleeding, and facial fractures—were “not accidental” and could not be caused by self-inflicted harm, allergic responses, or minor falls.
Throughout the investigation, Walker’s story shifted repeatedly. He failed a polygraph test, and when confronted with that result, he again tried to blame the child’s mother—despite her earlier cooperation and her own passed polygraph. Investigators concluded that the child was injured during the narrow timeframe when Walker had exclusive custody and opportunity. The nature and distribution of the injuries—particularly the patterned bruises—further pointed to deliberate abuse, not neglect or accident.
Authorities say Walker’s actions after the fact—applying a frozen can, cleaning with bleach, and offering inconsistent accounts—suggest a clear effort to cover up the crime. Walker was arrested by Special Crimes Detectives on December 18 and transported to the county correctional facility. If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison. The young victim remains in a critical condition, sedated, and under intensive care. The case has left the Beaumont community shaken, serving as a chilling reminder of how quickly trust can be broken—and how deeply children can suffer when left in the wrong hands.
