On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at approximately 10:53 a.m., the Barstow Police Department dispatch center received a report from Barstow Community Hospital regarding an unresponsive 3-year-old girl who had been brought in by her stepmother.

Hospital staff determined that the child was not breathing and had sustained severe injuries covering her entire body, including her head and face.

Medical personnel at Barstow Community Hospital successfully resuscitated the child and, due to the severity of her injuries, transferred her to Loma Linda University Medical Center for further treatment.

Upon arrival, hospital staff discovered that the child had suffered multiple strokes due to a significant brain bleed, which necessitated the removal of a portion of her skull.

A team of forensic pediatricians at Loma Linda assessed the child and concluded that she had both recent and older injuries consistent with long-term child abuse.

The Barstow Police Department’s Detective Division took over the investigation, with Detective Gemma Day leading the case.

The extensive investigation involved interviews with multiple witnesses, execution of search warrants, and consultations with forensic pediatricians from Loma Linda University Medical Center and the Children’s Assessment Center, as well as coordination with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office.

Through the investigation, Detective Day determined that the child’s stepmother, identified as 32-year-old Enid Rodriguez Avila, was the sole individual responsible for the abuse. Based on the evidence gathered, an arrest warrant was issued for Avila.

On Thursday, February 20, 2025, Barstow Police Detectives located and arrested Avila in Victorville. She was subsequently booked into the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, facing the following charges:

PC 273a(b) – Child Abuse Causing Paralysis
PC 206 – Child Torture
PC 664/187(a) – Attempted Murder
Authorities urge anyone with information related to this case to contact Detective Gemma Day at 760-255-5132 or via email at gday@barstowca.org.

Those wishing to remain anonymous can provide information through the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27468) or by visiting www.wetip.com.