California parents sentenced to 9 years for child abuse that left infant blind, quadriplegic

"Two parents who were convicted of child abuse after their infant son was left blind and quadriplegic due to malnutrition and exposure to extreme temperatures were sentenced to nine years in state prison on Friday, Oct. 24. Jaqueline Navarro, 45, and John Andres Gonzalez, 38, were found guilty in Orange County Superior Court in June of a felony count of child abuse with an enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a child under the age of 5."

"The conviction came more than five years after the mother and father, residents of Lindsay in Tulare County, brought their unresponsive 10-month-old named Journey to a Newport Beach emergency room on Aug. 1, 2020, while visiting Orange County. The baby, who was gray, emaciated and catatonic when brought to the Hoag Hospital Emergency Room, was suffering from extremely low blood-sugar levels, hypoxia and constant seizures, according to prosecutors. It was later determined by a specialist that the baby was malnourished."

"Prosecutors said that Navarro and Gonzalez are vegan, mucus-free fruitarians who follow naturopathy, believing that the body can heal itself and that baby formula and breast milk are toxic. The baby was only fed fruit, vegetables and soy-based baby formula, and, within weeks of his birth, was placed into ice baths and saunas. Despite medical treatment, the boy suffered permanent neurological damage as a result of severe malnutrition, leaving him blind and unable to walk, talk or eat on his own."

Jaqueline Navarro and John Andres Gonzalez were sentenced to nine years in state prison after convictions for child abuse with a great-bodily-injury enhancement. Their 10-month-old son, Journey, was brought unresponsive to a Newport Beach emergency room on Aug. 1, 2020, and was gray, emaciated and catatonic with extremely low blood sugar, hypoxia and constant seizures. A specialist determined severe malnutrition. The parents followed a vegan, mucus-free fruitarian naturopathic regimen, fed the infant fruit, vegetables and soy-based baby formula, and subjected him to ice baths and saunas. The child suffered permanent neurological damage, is blind and unable to walk, talk or eat independently, faces multiple medical complications, and was placed on hospice with an estimated prognosis of six months or less.

Read at www.ocregister.com