How Could You? Hall of Shame-Cindy Patriarchias and Edmond Gonzales 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 Las Cruces, New Mexico, foster parent Cindy Patriarchias, 33, was charged on Friday, January 25, 2013 with one Felony 3 count of Abuse of a child – negligently caused (no death or great bodily harm) for leaving her developmentally disabled 8-year-old foster daughter in a homemade wooden cage while she took her three other children to a movie. Cindy’s estranged husband discovered that the 8-year-old was unattended and called the police. Cindy made her first court appearance on January 28, 2013. She is in jail on a $25,000 cash bond.

Her live-in boyfriend Edmond Gonzalez, 37, was also arrested and charged with one Felony 3 count of Abuse of a child – negligently permitted (no death or great bodily harm). He is in jail on a $25,000 cash bond.

“Las Cruces Police were called to the couple’s mobile home shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, to check on the welfare of the young girl after Patriarchias’ estranged husband called police.

He told police he believed the 8-year-old was left home alone while Patriarchias and Gonzales took the woman’s three other children to watch a movie at Columbia Elementary School, according to police.

Police told ABC-7 Patriarchias and her estranged husband were in the process of adopting the 8-year-old before they split up. After the split, the young girl stayed in the custody of Patriarchias.

The first officers on the scene found the mobile home to be dark and it appeared to be unoccupied. About an hour later Patriarchias returned home and allowed officers inside where an officer discovered a large wooden cage in the corner of a bedroom with Patriarchias’ 8-year-old daughter in it.

“The arriving officer who peeked in there thought he would see a pet, a dog possibly but as it turned out to be this young eight year old,” said LCPD spokesman Dan Trujillo.

The officer removed the girl from the cage and carried her outside the home where she was attended to by medical personnel. Police said the girl did not appear to have any physical injuries as a result of the containment but detectives learned that she suffers from microcephaly and has the mental capacity of a 2-year-old.

The homemade wooden cage measured roughly 29 inches wide, 60 inches long and 49.5 inches tall. The cage had two latches on the door and a baby crib’s mattress inside, on the floor.

“It did have vents. It was made out of wood. It was obviously homemade. It had vents along the top. She had already outgrown this, if you will. She was already too tall for it,” Trujillo said.

According to police officials, detectives said that the Patriarchias insisted on leaving her daughter home alone, confined in the wooden cage, while her other three children and boyfriend attended a school-sponsored movie.

Neighbors at the Zia Shadow Mobile Home Park where this happened told ABC-7 this makes them sick to their stomachs.

“For something like this to happen is a shock. There’s a special place in hell for people like this,” said John Mullins, the property manager.

“There’s nothing to say. That’s just wrong. You can’t do that to any kid, no matter if there’s something wrong with them or not. They’re human beings,” Susan Stoehner, a neighbor, told ABC-7.

Patriarchias and Gonzales were booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center with cash-only bonds set at $25,000 each. Detectives are continuing their investigation.”

Las Cruces Police arrest couple who allegedly left 8-year-old in wooden cage

[KVIA 1/18/13]

” She was placed under the care of New Mexico’s child-protection agency.

A police spokesman said Patriarchias had been trying to adopt the girl but hadn’t been able to reach the girl’s birth mother to get her consent.”

“It was unclear if they had hired attorneys.”

New Mexico girl found locked in wooden cage

[Associated Press 1/28/13 by Russell Contreras]

Police: Couple kept 8-year-old in wooden cage

[KOAT 1/29/13]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

 

Update: “A New Mexico woman admitted in court Monday to going to a school event while locking her 8-year-old niece with developmental disabilities in a wooden cage and leaving her alone.

Cindy Patriarchias, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony child abuse, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop four related charges.

A teary-eyed Patriarchias told 3rd Judicial District Judge Fernando Macias in Las Cruces that the incident was “the biggest and worst mistake of my life.”

She faces a maximum of six years in prison, but her attorney asked for a deferred sentence. Prosecutors are seeking some prison time. Her sentencing has been scheduled for March.

Her attorney, Peter Giovannini, said his client made a mistake.

“The cage is not the issue,” he said. “The issue is a lapse in judgment.”

Patriarchias and her boyfriend, Edmond Gonzales, took her three children to an elementary school in January to watch a movie, police said. Patriarchias’ estranged husband called police when he arrived at the school and learned that the 8-year-old girl was unattended at the mobile home.

Officers discovered a large homemade wooden cage in the corner of a bedroom with the girl inside. The cage had two latches on the door, a baby crib’s mattress inside and was about 2 1/2 feet wide and 4 feet tall, police said in a statement.

Prosecutor Paul Rubino said Monday that Patriarchias “crossed the line” and what started as a modified bed for the child “turned into a prison cell.”

The girl didn’t appear to have any physical injuries, police said.

A police spokesman said Patriarchias had been trying to adopt the girl but hadn’t been able to reach the girl’s birth mother to get her consent at the time she was discovered in a cage. The girl suffers from microcephaly — a condition that gives people an abnormally small head.

Gonzales, who has been in custody since January, also pleaded guilty to negligently permitting child abuse, a third-degree felony. He was sentenced to three years of probation but will remain in custody until another case is resolved.”

 

New Mexico woman admits locking niece with disabilities alone in cage while going to see movie[The Times-Picayune 12/23/13 by Associated Press]

A search on New Mexico court cases finds that on 5/6/14 her sentence was suspended!On 5/14/14 probation was set.