Tarrant County woman arrested for alleged medical child abuse, fraud

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - A 31-year-old woman was arrested after authorities alleged she subjected her child to years of unnecessary medical procedures, including the surgical placement of a feeding tube the child did not need.

Kaitlyn Rose Laura was arrested March 25 by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office following an investigation into suspected medical child abuse.

Kaitlyn Rose Laura arrested

What we know:

Laura was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on a first-degree felony charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. She also faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She was given a combined bond of $125,000. She posted the bond and was released from the Tarrant County jail on March 31.

The backstory:

According to an arrest affidavit, the investigation began after medical staff at Cook Children’s Medical Center raised concerns that the child was being subjected to "Medical Child Abuse," also known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Doctors reported that Laura provided false medical histories, claiming the child suffered from seizures, specialist-treated disorders, and severe feeding issues. She also claimed the child had Cerebral Palsy, which doctors told investigators is untrue.

The affidavit details that between 2022 and 2024, the child underwent numerous invasive procedures, including a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) placement. However, when the child was later hospitalized for observation without Laura’s interference, the child was able to eat and drink normally, showing no signs of the symptoms Laura had reported. The child was also forced to use a wheelchair by Laura.

In March 2025, the medical staff at Cook Children's forwarded their concerns to the Fort Worth Police Department, "who did not investigate the concerns despite the feeding tube being placed in their jurisdiction, and instead referred the case to Glen Rose Police Department, who referred the case to the Johnson County DA's Office. CPS also did not remove the victim from the suspect's custody before closing their case. The suspect then left Cook Children Medical Center's care and began seeking unneeded treatments at Children Medical Center Dallas," the affidavit stated.

The alleged unnecessary medical procedures continued through 2025 and into 2026, with a new GJ tube placed at the insistence of the parents, who continued to report feeding issues with the victim. The affidavit shows Laura told a nurse the child was losing weight, and she felt like the child needed "Total Parent Nutrition," which means nutrition is given intravenously and would require the placement of a central line, giving the parent access to the child's bloodstream. Laura also told the nurse that the child needed hospice.

Less than one month later, the child was brought to the emergency room due to leakage at the GJ button site. During this hospital stay, the affidavit shows the child was removed from the parent's custody and released into medical foster care on Feb. 26, 2026.

During the investigation, the child's father was interviewed. He told police that Laura used to work in home health at a company in Granbury that specialized in patients with feeding tubes. He said she is well versed in medical terminology. He told investigators he did not know she had asked for palliative care or had asked for Total Parent Nutrition and a hospice referral.

What they're saying:

"The medical abuse of a child is a horrific crime," Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said. "These cases are often complex and challenging to investigate, which can lead to them being overlooked within the criminal justice system."

In addition to the abuse charges, investigators are looking into potential Medicaid fraud.

Detectives discovered at least three GoFundMe accounts created by Laura to solicit donations for purported medical expenses. Authorities believe she used the child's fabricated illnesses to gain significant financial support from the community.

What you can do:

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who donated to Laura, or who exchanged text messages with her regarding the health of her children, to contact the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division at 817-884-1305.

What is Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy?

Dig deeper:

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), now more commonly referred to in medical and legal contexts as Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA), is a form of medical child abuse where a caregiver, typically a parent, fabricates or induces physical or psychological symptoms in someone under their care.

In these cases, the perpetrator's primary goal is not usually financial gain, but rather the attention, sympathy, and validation they receive from medical professionals and the community.

These cases are notoriously difficult to investigate because the caregiver often appears to be exceptionally devoted and knowledgeable about the child's "complex" medical needs. This perception can lead to the abuse being overlooked by the criminal justice system for years.

Investigators often look for "red flags," such as multiple separate crowdfunding accounts (like GoFundMe) used to solicit donations based on the child's fabricated illnesses.