Brooks Jr. gets 40 years

Dallas, Texas - A 31-year-old man pled guilty Friday in Dallas County court to receive 40 years in a Texas prison for the severe beating of a local two-year-old in 2021, according to Dallas County officials.

As a result of his actions, the victim, Blake Sampson lives with a range of lifelong medical issues.

Charles Brooks Jr. and the court were preparing to hear victim impact statements from Blake’s family Monday, according to Media & Community Relations Manager Claire Crouch, with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office.

Crouch told Journal-Sun staff on Monday that Brooks pled guilty to injury to a child with serious bodily harm, as well as a charge stemming from an aggravated robbery.

“I am able to confirm (Brooks) pled to 40 years in prison on Friday on an injury to a child with serious bodily injury,” Crouch said. “He also pled to five years on an aggravated robbery” No further information on the Brooks trial was available at press time this week.

On the evening of May 3, 2021, Brooks was originally arrested by Dallas County Sheriff ’s Office and charged with injury to a child with intent to cause severe bodily injury and serious mental deficiency or impairment, a first-degree felony punishable by a maximum sentence of 99 years or life in prison and/or a maximum fine of $10,000, according to earlier Journal-Sun reports.

Sources close to the family reported at the time that then-2-year-old Blake had sustained serious injury while under the care of Brooks at his home in Dallas, though Brooks had contended the child had fallen down a flight of stairs.

Dallas Medical City Hospital staff found evidence of abuse soon after Blake was admitted, with injuries that included a severe brain bleed with swelling and adult bite marks on both of the toddler’s legs.

This led to an investigation being launched, which resulted in an arrest warrant issued for Brooks on April 30, 2021.

Brooks was taken into custody after a three-day search and given a $250,000.00 bond.

Baby Blake was immediately placed into a medically induced coma in the Critical Intensive Care Unit to allow brain swelling to lessen until doctors could slowly wean the toddler off sedation. The baby was given medication to keep his blood pressure up, had a shunt placed on his brain to drain fluid, and was placed on a ventilator-–all while having his brain waves and intracranial pressure monitored continuously, along with vital signs.

“He is on antibiotics and antifungal medication; they’ve been able to wean the oxygen and the ventilator is giving him down to 30 and we are hopeful and prayerful that his vital signs and intracranial pressures will continue responding well as they attempt to wean him from the sedation and blood pressure medication,” a source close to the family stated in the early aftermath of Blake’s trauma.

Brooks had married Blake’s mother, Madison Ball about three months before grievously injuring the toddler, and the beating was alleged to have occurred the first time that he and the child had been alone for an extended time without the mother present, according to earlier reports.

Brooks had driven with the child from his home in Atlanta to his other home in Dallas after picking him up at his grandparents’ house while Blake’s mother had planned to drive to Dallas after leaving work.

However, when the toddler’s mother called to check on Blake, Brooks allegedly told her the child had fallen down the stairs. The mother immediately called 911 and drove directly to the hospital to see her son.

Brooks had to be recaptured nearly a year later on March 12, 2022, after cutting his ankle monitor off. Family members of Blake said Brooks was apprehended at a bar in Sherman, Texas.

It was reported that District Attorney Kathryn Suggs planned to revoke his bail before Brooks skipped, according to Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing the family of Blake in a civil case. Brooks did not show up to his court appearance, and now faced three felony charges for intent to cause bodily harm to a minor; aggravated robbery; and tampering with an electronic monitoring device.

As a result, Brooks was then facing three felony charges for intent to cause bodily harm to a minor; aggravated robbery; and tampering with an electronic monitoring device.

Blake’s family set up a Facebook page sometime in the aftermath of Brooks’ deeds called “Justice for Blake”.

Three months ago, the family had some good news to share, Blake was able to come home again–this time off the ventilator, and was even able to go to church.

Blake and his family have been fighting for his life for the past two years.

In posts on social media on the “Prayers for Blake” Facebook page, Blake’s grandmother, Venetia Kay Simpson gave several good reports, starting on April 30.

Though it was reported Blake was beaten by Brooks “within an inch of his life” at Brooks’ Dallas Duplex in April 2021–and has since gone through many ups and downs–Blake was able to leave the hospital and go home in time for Christmas last year. After a series of setbacks, he was able to return home with his family this Spring.

“Blake did it y’all! He went 12 hours today without the ventilator and had no issues.️ God, we see you loud and clear. Keep those prayers coming,” Simpson posted to the prayer page.

Since news continues to come in, we continue to learn more about the trial and more news from the family.