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A grandmother and mom in Arizona are accused of baby abuse within the demise of a 13-year-old particular wants lady after they allegedly disciplined the teenager by beating her and retaining her in a feces-covered cage.
Virginia Lujan, 55, was taken into custody and charged with one rely of kid abuse following the demise of her granddaughter earlier this week, in accordance with the Tempe Police Division.
The kid’s mom, 33-year-old Jami Hodges, was additionally arrested, however has since been launched as expenses are pending, AZFamily reported.
Police responded to Lujan’s house round 9 p.m. on Tuesday after the grandmother referred to as 911 to report that her granddaughter was not respiration. First responders discovered {the teenager}, who had the psychological capability of a toddler, “coated in bruises and sores” that have been “in numerous levels of therapeutic,” police stated.
She was transported to a close-by hospital the place she was pronounced useless on Wednesday morning.
Lujan, who was caring for the teenager on the time of her demise, instructed investigators that she had fallen down the steps two days earlier, police stated in a information launch.
“She stated she didn’t search medical consideration as a result of she believed the lady could be superb,” police stated of the lady who had a “cognitive delay and had the psychological capability of a three-year-old.”
When detectives searched the house after acquiring a warrant, they discovered “what gave the impression to be a makeshift cage, which was filled with feces and had a foul odor.” Each Lujan and Hodges admitted that the “lady was saved on this ‘cage’ to maintain management of her,” police stated.
“The easiest way to explain it, it was a bunk mattress, however the decrease mattress of that bunk was not there. And the bunk mattress across the backside was surrounded by child cages and makeshift bars,” Tempe police spokesperson Jessica Ells stated, in accordance with AZFamily.
“The house was very disorderly; it was not very clear,” Ells added. “It was simply very deplorable situations to say the least.”
Investigators stated that Hodges had been briefly staying with Lujan, who was caring for 4 of Hodges’ 5 kids, together with the teenager. Hodges admitted that she had not seen the lady frequently since staying at her mom’s house.
Hodges additionally instructed police that she was “not conscious of a fall” that Lujan claimed occurred on Sunday.
Police stated extra expenses might be added as extra proof is uncovered.
4 different kids have been within the house, ranging in age from 2 to fifteen, and in accordance with the authorities had not been attending faculty. They’re now within the custody of the state.
“The tragic loss of a kid is a profound reminder of our shared duty to guard essentially the most weak in our group,” Chief McCoy stated. “Investigations like this demand meticulous consideration to element and sensitivity to the emotional toll it takes on everybody concerned.”
