A Terrebonne mother has pleaded guilty to shooting and burning her 15-year-old daughter.
According to the Terrebonne Parish District Attorney’s Office, Latonya Harris was sentenced to 30 years of hard labor without benefits of parole.
In April of 2024, Harris, along with her boyfriend Terrence Washington and children, was involved in a crash near Baytown, Texas.
When the Baytown Police Department arrived, police found the 15-year-old girl who was badly burned and shot in the chest and face.
The sheriff said the couple, who were identified as the girl’s mother and the mother’s boyfriend, had intentionally burned and shot the teen.
The Baytown Police Department confirmed that Harris, 40, of Thibodaux, and Washington, 41, of Thibodaux, along with a minor child, were taken into custody in connection with the crash and discovery of the teen.
A 10-year-old girl who was with the family was interviewed by deputies.
When Washington was questioned, he admitted to Baytown officers that he had shot the teen and sexually assaulted her over the course of several months, according to the release issued by the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff said the child told them during Mardi Gras that she woke up several times to her mother setting the teen on fire with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a lighter.
The child also revealed that the teen was shot on two different days and was left untreated while the family traveled to Texas.
A search warrant was then executed at the family’s home, where detectives said they found evidence that a weapon had been shot inside the home, blood, as well as smells of decomposing flesh.
The sheriff’s office said Washington reported that Harris burned the teen after learning about the sexual abuse. Washington told detectives that Harris blamed the girl for the sexual encounters, according to a news release issued by the sheriff.
According to Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services, the 15-year-old had severe burns to her body dating back to October of 2023.
According to DCFS, there was a valid case of physical abuse with the mother as the perpetrator, concerning the child in April of 2013. The family was referred for outside services as a result of the April 2013 investigation.
DCFS said in April 2014, there was another valid case of physical abuse with the mother as the perpetrator, concerning the child. The agency said the child was placed in foster care for a short period of time as a result of the April 2014 investigation. DCFS told WDSU the family received in-home services once the child returned home following the removal in April 2014.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Washington, who remains jailed in Texas.
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