TERREBONNE PARISH, La. — LaTricia Johnson still can't believe what happened to her 15-year-old stepdaughter.
“Of course, shock, hurt, seeing her devastated us," Johnson said.
Johnson is married to the girl's biological father.
The teenager was shot multiple times, raped and burned at the hands of her mother, Latonya Harris, and her boyfriend, Terrence Washington, according to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office.
The abuse was discovered when the couple and teen were in a car accident in Baytown, Texas, last month.
Now, the girl is still recovering from extensive injuries in a Galveston area hospital, Johnson said.
“She’s lost her eye. She has third and fourth-degree burns to 30 percent of her body. She’s lost some teeth because the bullet traveled from her eye, through her pallet, out her jaw," Johnson said.
Johnson says her stepdaughter has already undergone hours of surgeries, including skin grafts, and has many more to come.
Johnson hopes her stepdaughter can return to their home in Louisiana later this month, but doctors tell the family that she will need medical attention for at least another year.
According to the Department of Family and Children Services, Harris physically abused her daughter in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, the daughter was temporarily placed in foster care, and the family received "in-home services" when she returned.
Johnson said that in 2017, another incident happened with the girl's mother, and the girl was given to her and her husband.
But in 2022, the girl asked to live with her mom again, Johnson said.
“We thought we were doing the right thing. Because me, I feel like every girl needs their mom," Johnson said, “We never thought that would ultimately be the worst decision we’ve ever made when it came to her.”
DCFS also reports that the severe burns on the girl's body date back to October of 2023.
Despite all that she's been through, Johnson said her stepdaughter's spirit can't be dimmed.
“Everybody loves her. Like even at the hospital, all the nurses love her. Just a very kind, sweet, spirited girl," Johnson said.
Johnson said she has an iPad in the hospital where she sees the love, support and prayers, and it means a lot to the young survivor.
The family started a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of medical procedures. Johnson said some of them will be cosmetic and may not be covered by insurance.
Harris is being held in Terrebonne Parish jail on a $1,000,000 bond, and Washington is currently being held in Texas. According to the Terrebonne Parish District Attorney, their first appearance is set for late June.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.