CINCINNATI -- A 3-year-old girl is recovering with relatives as police try to determine whos responsible for getting her drunk and injuring the child.This is a very serious case; it's troubling, said Kenton County Prosecutor Ken Easterling.The girl, whose name was not released, was treated Feb. 22 for serious injuries at Childrens Hospital, where investigators also discovered her *la*hd-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit for adults.
Police said the girl, who turned 3 years old in December, had suffered a small amount of bleeding on her brain, eye damage consistent with being shaken, neck and shoulder injuries, two broken bones in her left arm, bruises all over her body.The arm fractures and bleeding are classic signs of being shaken, Easterling said. But there are so many different types of injuries to this 3-year-old that I can only speculate as to how it all occurred.Investigators said the child also had abrasions on her lips from being force-fed alcohol, and her *la*hd-alcohol level measured 0.15.She did not get into alcohol and drink it herself, Easterling said. We believe that someone made her consume alcohol.Police in Covington and Elsmere are investigating the incident, but Easterling confirmed the childs mother was among four adult relatives under investigation.Children's Protective Services was notified by Children's Hospital when the girl arrived, and she was placed with relatives not under investigation while police determine whom to charge.Investigators believe the girl's 4-year-old sister might have witnessed some or all of the abuse.