Soldier, Girlfriend Charged With Abusing Boy

Fayetteville, N.C. — A soldier stations at Fort Bragg was charged Thursday with child abuse and inflicting serious injury in the beating of his girlfriend's 8-year-old son last month.

Cumberland County sheriff's investigators charged Juan Carlos Gonzalez, 22, of 4852 Back Bay Road.

Teresa Walters, 30, of the same address, the boy's mother, was charged with being an accessory after the fact and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Deputies did not disclose Gonzalez's unit. Walters is employed by the state Department of Justice at the Juvenile Detention Center in Cumberland County, they said.

Investigators said the child’s injuries were discovered on Dec. 11 when Walters had gone to her doctor’s office complaining of labor pains as she prepared to deliver her second child. The medical staff noticed the boy had swollen, black eyes, bruises on his forehead and marks along his neck, police said.

Gonzalez was released from the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $10,000 unsecured bond and remanded to the custody of Fort Bragg until he appears in court Jan. 26.

Walters was held in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $5,000 secured bond and scheduled for a court appearance Friday.

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Latest Comments

And she works at a detention center? She should know first hand what abuse kids go through and the long term effects. NO ONE will ever hit my child. She is just as much to blame. She should lose her kids and he should be kicked out of the military, jailed and ordered anger management; but the boy should be able to do something to make him forget and feel better.

nursevb8
January 26, 2007 5:06 p.m.

What's going on with these people ...are they taking some type of stupid pill.

Toni
January 26, 2007 4:42 p.m.

That woman was working for the Justice Department. She was in no dangerous situation. She is just one ignorant non-caring mother that needs to go to prison for the rest of her life for beating an innocent child and he needs to be dishonorably discharged and hung up by his nuts.

smoothtip99
January 26, 2007 4:00 p.m.

She is just as guilty. I don't care what you think you are going to do to harm my children/child, but I will whoop your a$^. I do not play when it comes to my kids. My ex-husband found that out the hard way and I took one hell of a beating, but I beat his a@# and he went to jail. Noone should harm a child in anyway shape or form. I do not have to worry about that kind of stuff with my husband now. I hope they take both kids from her and if a family member can't take them, I am sure someone else canand will. this is a damn shame.

diwanicki
January 26, 2007 10:40 a.m.

This does not surprise me at all, this is Fort Bragg we are talking about! I like to see what the outcome is just like the rest of the child abuse and murder cases involving children. Most likely a slap on the hand. They are the ones that fight for our freedom... right? But apparently the president, law enforcement, etc... have special privledges. It's B***S***!!

outraged3
January 26, 2007 9:55 a.m.