How Could You? Hall of Shame-Noel Stone

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Sante Fe, New Mexico, foster father, Noel Stone, 48, “has been charged with child abuse after being accused of punching and pulling the hair of a 7-year-old girl in his care, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

Noel Stone, 48, faces one count of child abuse in the incident, and all of the half-dozen children in his home have been removed by the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, spokesperson Jake Thompson said in an email.

“There were six children placed in the home … all have been removed and remain in CYFD custody,” he wrote. “Pursuant to licensing standards, we revoke the resource parent licensure when they have criminal charges pending.”

It was not clear Monday if Stone was in custody. His first appearance in court is set for Nov. 13, and online booking records did not appear to show him being held in the Santa Fe County Jail. A Santa Fe Police Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about Stone’s custody status on Monday.

Stone did not have an attorney listed in court records as of Monday afternoon.

On Sept. 29, police responded to a Santa Fe elementary school, where a teacher reported one of her students had come to class complaining about a headache.

The 7-year-old told staff she had been playing tag with another 3-year-old foster child at home when she accidentally hit them. To discipline the girl, she said Stone then sat her down at the dining table, where he allegedly pulled her hair and punched her elbow, according to the complaint.

School staff and police said the girl had a bruise on her left arm that indicated she had been hit, according to the criminal complaint.

Police visited Stone at Santa Fe Community College, where he works as a security officer. He told police he did discipline the 7-year-old by making her sit at the table for 20 minutes, but denied hitting her.

He added he “avoids any physical contact to prevent allegations,” according to the complaint.

Another child interviewed by a CYFD investigator also said the 7-year-old accidentally hit the 3-year-old while playing tag, and that Stone allegedly hit and pulled the hair of the girl, the complaint states.

Thompson, the CYFD spokesperson, said the agency had investigated the home of Stone and his partner — who has not been charged — multiple times since December of 2023, three times for reports of emotional abuse of foster children, and twice more for reports of a lack of supervision and emotional abuse of Stone’s daughter.

CYFD determined all those allegations were unsubstantiated, Thompson added.”

Santa Fe man accused of hitting, pulling hair of foster child
[Sante Fe New Mexican 10/13/25 by Esteban Candelaria]

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