Lake Charles Couple Arrested of Cruelty to a Juvenile

According to a media release, on Monday, January 27, at about 2:40pm, detectives with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a local hospital in regards to possible cruelty to a juvenile.

When detectives arrived, the hospital staff told them a three-year-old boy was brought in with brain injury and immediately taken into surgery. Detectives also learned, "The boy had extensive injuries and bruising from head to toe, in different stages of healing; which meant the bruises had occurred over an extended period of time," said Kayla Vincent. The medical staff advised detectives that they, "...suspected the injuries sustained to the child were non-accidental."

When questioned by detectives, Laborde denied throwing his four-year-old daughter. He did admit to spanking the boy the day before and told detectives that, "Matthews was the one who put the children in time out on their knees for long periods of time."

Matthews and Laborde were arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center and charged with second-degree battery, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, and cruelty to a juvenile. A bond has yet to be set.

The three-year-old boy currently remains in a local hospital in critical condition. The remaining children in the home were placed in state custody by the Department of Children and Family Services.