VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A 6-year-old girl showed up at school with a bruised face, sparking a child abuse investigation in Volusia County, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a release, deputies said that the girl showed up at school on Thursday with bruises still visible on her face, and deputies learned that she’d suffered some kind of physical abuse.
“The victim was also very hungry and said she doesn’t get much to eat,” the release reads.
Detectives said they discovered that two adults — Jeffrey Morales, 29, and Melissa Husk, 35 — had tried to cover up keep the girl’s injuries by keeping her out of school for two days.
Now, Morales faces a charge of child abuse. Meanwhile, Husk faces a charge of child neglect for “being aware of the abuse and choosing to hide it, rather than intervene or report it,” deputies added.
The sheriff’s office also released body camera footage of Morales’ arrest, which can be watched at the top of this story.