Dad bites toddler, kicks her in the face for crying (Austin, Texas)

Dad bites toddler, kicks her in the face for crying (Austin, Texas)

Father allegedly kicked toddler in face
Witness claimed his reasoning was the child cried

Updated: Thursday, 18 Jun 2009, 9:11 AM MDT
Published : Thursday, 18 Jun 2009, 9:10 AM MDT

Shane Allen

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) - Police claim an Austin man bit and kicked his 2-year-old daughter in the face.

According to an arrest warrant made public Wednesday, police said Ricardo Luna, 23, was mad at his daughter last month because she would not lie down with him. Luna's girlfriend, the child's mother, said Luna was drunk, became upset at the girl and bit the toddler on the cheek.

The girlfriend said she and Luna then began arguing. The child started crying as a result of the argument. That is when Luna's girlfriend claims he kicked the 2-year-old in the face.

"She's a [expletive deleted] crybaby, that's all," Luna reportedly said to his girlfriend after kicking their child. "You spoil her."

The child's mother called 911 after the May 17 incident. Luna was booked in the Travis County Jail on May 28. He is being held on injury to a child causing bodily injury, assault causing bodily injury to a family member and terroristic threat.

If convicted, he could face 10 years in jail or more, depending on how the charges are stacked in court.

This is not Luna's first brush with the law. Luna has been convicted of assaulting a family member. He has also been charged with assault of a non-family member two times and violating a restraining order.