Two adults charged after child, 10 months, allegedly abused in their care

Two Elyria residents are facing felony child abuse charges after a 10-month-old child was hospitalized with serious injuries after being left in their care. Eva T. Thompson, 31, and Raymond Lucero, 19, both of Rosewood Drive, were indicted Friday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court on child abuse and related charges. Each is charged with five felonies: Three counts of endangering children, one count of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence. Lucero was being held in the Lorain County Jail on $1 million bond. Thompson was being held there on $150,000 bond. Both are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Judge Giovanna Bremke's courtroom. Messages seeking comment were left for their attorneys. Thompson is the girlfriend of the father of the child, according to the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office. Lucero is Thompson's brother and was living with Thompson and the father of the child at the time the child was injured. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Chris Pierre said Thompson had taken the father of the child to work on July 18 and left the alleged child victim and other children in Lucero's care. Lucero allegedly told Elyria police that while they were gone, the child had a seizure. Pierre said Thompson returned and left the child in a playpen "for hours" until she went and picked the child's father up from work. When he got home, the father of the alleged victim picked the child up "and saw immediately the child needed to go to the hospital," Pierre said. Lucero gave different explanations for what happened — including that he threw the child in the air, "then decided to check his phone and the child fell on his knee," Pierre said. The child was hospitalized and treated for serious injuries Pierre said were consistent with being shaken. He said as of Tuesday afternoon, he didn't know if the child had been released from the hospital. The evidence tampering charges were filed because Lucero and Thompson allegedly deleted text messages they had sent each other on that day, Pierre said. Contact Dave O'Brien at dobrien@chroniclet.com.