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A Pasadena mother has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for her involvement in the abuse of her two children, a toddler, and a newborn. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg stated, “Texas laws give the same range of punishment for an abuser and for cases like this where a parent consciously and repeatedly puts a child in harm's way by leaving them with an abuser. This was not a one-time mistake or some awful accident, this was a pattern of intentional abuse. The children in our community deserve better.”
Emily Aust, 30, and her boyfriend, Austin Reid, 25, were arrested in 2020 as authorities uncovered their deception regarding the circumstances surrounding Aust's two children. Two-year-old Lucas, Aust's son from a previous relationship, was taken to Texas Children's Hospital after being left alone with Reid in 2019. Despite Reid claiming that Lucas drowned in the bathtub, the child's extensive bruises and injuries, including cigarette burns, suggested ongoing abuse. Tragically, Lucas passed away in the hospital.
Shortly after Lucas' death, Aust gave birth to Reid's son, who was later found with severe injuries. Reid brought the newborn to the hospital with a dislocated elbow and evidence of brain bleeding and head trauma, likely from violent shaking. Their apartment was described as a drug house unsuitable for children, with drug paraphernalia present.
Assistant District Attorney Gilbert Sawtelle, who prosecuted the cases, revealed that Reid confessed to using meth, marijuana, and Xanax when the children were harmed. Aust acknowledged her substance abuse issues and admitted that her drug and alcohol consumption escalated after the death of her first child.
Sawtelle emphasized Aust's negligence, stating, “All of this happened because she allowed it to happen by ignoring the constant signs of child abuse, including the death of her first child. If authorities hadn’t taken away the baby, he likely would have suffered the same fate because nothing changed and nothing was going to change.”
While Reid received a 50-year prison sentence after pleading guilty last July, Aust recently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two concurrent 40-year prison terms, one for each child. She is not permitted to appeal the conviction or punishment and must serve a minimum of half the sentence before being eligible for parole.