NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (AP) – The mother of a 7-week-old baby boy and the woman’s boyfriend have pleaded innocent to child abuse charges after the infant was brought to a hospital on Christmas Eve with two broken legs, a broken arm and bruising.

Elizabeth Roderiques, 17, was ordered held on $50,000 bail, while Shawn Cambra, 18, who has a criminal history, was ordered held without bail at their arraignment Friday in New Bedford District Court.

The baby, Syruss Roderiques, was transferred from St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford to Children’s Hospital in Boston. The hospital would not release the baby’s condition on Saturday.

The state Department of Social Services has taken custody of the child, said agency spokeswoman Denise Monteiro.

The mother and her boyfriend, who is not the baby’s father, were both charged with permitting substantial injury to a child, but were not charged with causing the injuries themselves. That is still under investigation, said New Bedford police detective Alberto Silva.

Roderiques “denies that she ever harmed her baby or ever saw anyone harm her baby,” defense attorney Susan E. Taylor said at the arraignment.

Taylor also argued that there is no evidence linking Cambra to the alleged abuse, but a judge ruled that the suspect had violated probation.

Roderiques’ father, Rene Roderiques, said his daughter did not hurt the baby.

“My daughter would not hurt anybody. Nobody. Especially her own son,” he said. “She’s not a violent person, and she would not do that to that kid.”

AP-ES-12-27-03 1316EST

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