Barstow Woman Arrested for Child Abuse, Attempted Murder of 3-Year-Old

BARSTOW, Calif. (VVNG.com) — A Barstow woman has been arrested after a disturbing case of child abuse was uncovered involving a 3-year-old girl, according to a press release from the Barstow Police Department (BPD).

The investigation began on November 13, 2024, when Barstow Police received an alarming call from Barstow Community Hospital staff around 10:53 AM.

Hospital personnel reported that the child had been brought in unresponsive and not breathing by her stepmother.

Upon examination, the hospital staff found severe injuries covering the child’s entire body, including her head and face.

“Barstow Community Hospital personnel successfully resuscitated the child and transferred her to Loma Linda University Medical Center for further treatment, due to the severity of her injuries,” BPD officials stated in the release.

“At Loma Linda University Medical Center, hospital staff determined that the child had suffered multiple strokes due to a significant brain bleed, which required a portion of her skull to be removed.”

Further investigation by forensic pediatricians revealed that the child had suffered both recent and older injuries, which were consistent with long-term abuse. These findings pointed to the injuries being the result of child abuse over an extended period of time.

As the investigation unfolded, Barstow Police Detectives, led by Detective Gemma Day, took charge of the case.

Interviews with multiple witnesses, search warrants, and consultations with experts, including forensic pediatricians from Loma Linda and the Children’s Assessment Center, helped piece together the circumstances surrounding the injuries.

“Detective Day’s investigation revealed the child’s stepmother, a 32-year-old resident of Barstow, Enid Rodriguez Avila, was the sole individual responsible for the child’s injuries,” BPD officials confirmed. “A warrant was obtained for her arrest.”

After months of searching, on Thursday, February 20, 2025, detectives located and arrested Avila in Victorville at her place of employment.

She was booked into the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto on charges including child abuse causing paralysis, child torture, and attempted murder.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact Detective Gemma Day at 760-255-5132 or gday@barstowca.org. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27468) or visit www.wetip.com.