2 Arrested After Child Suffers Suspicious Injuries

Danbury police have made two arrests after an 8-year-old went to the school nurse about a suspicious injury. The child suffered from blisters and investigators determined they were caused by something an adult had placed on the child’s foot and in shoes, according to police.

The child, who attends a Danbury school suffered blisters on his or her left foot and told the school nurse and hospital staff that a man who had stayed at the family’s house had caused the injuries by putting a substance on the child’s toes and in their shoes, police said.

Vilma Samaniego, 30, of Danbury, a female relative of the child met, with the child at the hospital and the child immediately changed the story about how the injuries were sustained, police said.

No medical cause for the injuries was discovered, but investigators determined that a crime had been committed.

The state Department of Children and Families contacted the Danbury Police Special Victims Unit about the suspicious injuries on Aug. 28.

Police said the suspect was identified as Nelson Samaniego, 44, of New Haven. New Haven police went to his workplace, took him into custody and turned him over to detectives from the Danbury special victims unit.

Samaniego was charged with risk of injury to a minor, second-degree assault and cruelty to persons.

He was held on a $250,000 bond. 

Police also arrested Vilma Samaniego and charged her with risk of injury to a minor, interfering with the duties of a police officer and hindering prosecution. 

She was held on a $50,000 bond.  

Both were arraigned on Aug. 29 at Danbury Superior Court and are being held on bond by the Department of Corrections.

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