Mother of 8-year-old boy, her common-law husband arrested in death of child

HOUSTON – Houston police said they have arrested a mother and her common-law husband in the death of her 8-year-old son Tuesday.

Police said 24-year-old Kayla Holzendorf and 28-year-old Dominique Lewis have been charged with injury to a child and tampering with evidence.

Authorities said officers responded about 11 p.m. to reports of a child that had drowned in a bathtub at the Quality Inn & Suites Westchase at 2930 W. Sam Houston Parkway South. Investigators said paramedics were already at the scene performing CPR on the child.

“I see, the paramedics doing CPR, pushing the chest,” said witness Carolina Rodriguez.

Both paramedics and officers reported seeing multiple injuries on the boy’s body that were not consistent with drowning, investigators said.

“I just heard this lady screaming, something about don’t take my baby or take my baby and I guess everything had already happened,” said Alexander Campbell, who stayed at the hotel Tuesday night.

Police said the boy was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.

According to investigators, the child’s biological mother and her husband were in the room on the second floor at the time of what they told police was a drowning.

The boy’s autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.