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Infant injured, caregiver facing charges

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 3:00 AM | Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |

Sandra Petatan

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

KANNAPOLIS — A 3-month-old girl is fighting her life, and her caregiver is in jail facing felony abuse charges.

Sandra Gallardo Petatan, 23, is being held in the Cabarrus County Jail under $200,000 bond on a charge of child abuse inflicting serious injury.

The infant is at Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast in Concord.

Lt. Steve Belk, of the Kannapolis Police Department, said today that NorthEast staff contacted police early Saturday morning after the child was brought to the hospital.

A caller to 911 on Saturday morning requested an EMS unit, saying the child was having difficulty breathing.

Belk said the child has a skull fracture, bleeding on the brain, bruises and a broken arm.

"It's touch and go. É They found additional injuries today," Belk said.

Belk declined to specify whether there are other children or adults in the home.

He said Petatan lives off Rainbow Drive.

The Cabarrus County Department of Social Services is conducting a joint investigation with police.

Belk said additional charges are possible.

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