How Could You? Hall of Shame-Joseph Archibeque case-Child Death UPDATED

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 Los Chavez, New Mexico, foster parents Eugene Gallegos, 47, and Latricia Marquez, age unknown were FINALLY indicted by a Valencia County grand jury July 8, 2011 on three counts of child abuse after police say they gave their foster son, 14-year-old Joseph Archibeque, enough alcohol and prescription medication to result in his 2007 death.

“The pair were indicted on one count of intentional child abuse resulting in death, or the alternatives of negligent child abuse resulting in death and permissive child abuse resulting in death; one count of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor; one count of tampering with evidence and one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence.

On Dec. 26, 2007, Valencia County Sheriff deputies responded to a callin the 440 block of Miller Road in Los Lunas that Archibeque was not breathing. They found Archibeque in his bedroom lying on a bed on his side with a large amount of vomit near him. The boy was dead when deputies arrived.

In an interview Monday, retired Valencia County Sheriff’s Detective Aaron Jones said the boy was given alcoholic beverages and methadone, a drug known for its low cost and powerful effects, the night before he died.”

Jones, who was the lead investigator on the case, said the foster parents moved the boy from a cot onto a different bed to conceal the incident. He said the adults provided negligent care and said the boy lived in subhuman conditions in a room that was like “a broom closet.”

“They allowed him to consume alcohol and narcotics in a cocktail-type situation,” said Jones. “That’s a big no-no.”

Jones said Gallegos and Marquez should have done more to help their foster son. He said Marquez was a registered nurse.

It is unknown how long the boy was lying in the room before police arrived. Jones said the autopsy report said the boy choked on his vomit.

“(The parents) said they found him when they called him for breakfast,” Jones said. “But we all know that’s not true.”

He said the pair were using the boy as “caged support for income” from the state. He said the boy received income for his condition, but Jones would not say what that condition was or how much care the boy needed on a regular basis.”
“The retired detective said the case was in danger of being forgotten after the incident was initially ruled as an unattended death. He said that in 2007 there were a lot of high-profile cases that investigators were working on, and the unattended death wasn’t seen as a priority.

But he said he fought to make sure the case landed in the hands of the district attorney’s office before his retirement.

“I wanted to make sure this was one of the things I had done before I left,” Jones said.

He said the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department was initially uncooperative to the “point (law enforcement officials) had to get ugly about it.”

He said CYFD officials were in favor of leaving the case as an accidental overdose or a suicide.”

“Gallegos and Marquez are not in custody, and an arraignment hearing has not yet been scheduled.”

Foster parents indicted in boy’s death
[News Bulletin 7/13/11 by Brent Ruffner]

Bravo to retired detective Aaron Jones for continuing to press this case!

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update/September 6, 2013

A search of New Mexico court records finds that on April 8, 2013, Eugene and Latricia both  pled guilty, no contest to one Felony 2 count of Abuse of a child – intentional (resulting in great bodily harm) – attempt ; one Felony 3 count of Tampering with evidence (highest crime a capital, first or second degree felony) ;and 1 Felony 4 count of Tampering with evidence – conspiracy (highest crime a third, fourth or indeterminate degree felony) . The Felony 2 count of Distribution of controlled substances to a minor (1st offense)  was dismissed.  Sentencing was scheduled for September 4, 2013 but the sentence is not yet recorded on either file.