A tip from a Goodyear school about a severely underweight child with bruises and a lip injury set off a months-long police investigation that ended this week in the arrests of two caregivers accused of starving and physically abusing two young children in their care. Police say 30-year-old Kebrina Hussain (Ramirez) and 29-year-old Ezekiel Hussain now face felony child-abuse charges tied to allegations involving a 7-year-old and an 8-year-old.
School Staff Raised the First Red Flags
According to 12news.com, Goodyear police opened their investigation after school personnel reported that a child showed significant weight loss, an extremely thin appearance, facial bruising and a lip injury. That report, per police, set the case in motion more than two months before the arrests were made, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Detectives ultimately searched the homes of both suspects as part of the inquiry.
Police described Hussain and Hussain as the children's caregivers, not their parents, though the station's report did not elaborate further on the exact nature of that relationship. The children's identities have been withheld, and officers have not released additional details about the household beyond the allegations themselves.
Medical Exams Found No Explanation for Malnutrition
Medical examinations documented malnutrition, severe thinness, significant weight loss, bruising and injuries to the bottom of a child's foot, per the same account. A medical evaluation reportedly found no medical explanation for the child's malnutrition, ruling out an underlying illness as the cause. Investigators say the child later gained significant weight after receiving adequate nutrition, which police said further supported concerns of nutritional neglect.
A forensic interview added disturbing detail to the case. The child described being denied regular meals, punched and slapped, and having the bottom of their foot repeatedly injured with a metal object, according to the police statement. Police also identified separate allegations that both caregivers physically abused another child in their care.
Felony Charges Filed, Case Still Developing
Both Kebrina Hussain and Ezekiel Hussain face felony child-abuse charges, Goodyear police confirmed in a statement released Tuesday. The allegations remain attributed to police, medical evaluations and the child's own account rather than a finalized court determination, and no plea, bond or custody information has been made public.
Arizona law broadly classifies child abuse under circumstances likely to produce death or serious physical injury, when a person causes a child to suffer physical injury or, having care or custody of that child, allows such injury to occur, according to the Arizona Legislature. A related statute concerns reporting duties under state law, per the Arizona Legislature. No further case details, including court dates or attorney information, have been disclosed.
