"John" GONZALEZ - 5 yo - Victorville CA

A woman and a 16-year-old boy accused of torture, child abuse and false imprisonment of the woman’s 5-year-old son were in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.

Investigators testified at the hearing that Desiree Gonzalez, 31,
and her roommate, 16-year-old Ismael Frias, used hot spoons and
cigarette lighters to burn the boy and that they beat him with belts
and their fists.

Frias is being charged as an adult, according to Deputy District Attorney David Foy.

He said that San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Apple Valley deputies
in August went to the boy’s home in the 21000 block of Pah-ute Road
following an anonymous tip stating a young child was being held hostage
and denied food and water.

Foy said that deputies testified they found the boy in a closet
laying face down and that he had numerous lacerations, bruises and burn
marks.

“You can see that the skin is burned away,” Foy said. “You can see
in the photos that the burns are about the size of a spoon and the
child told investigators the burns were caused by a heated spoon being
put on his legs.”

The victim was taken to St. Mary Medical Center and later
transported to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. Foy said
hospital officials at St. Mary told deputies they found multiple old
and new bruises, several burn scars and that the victim was dehydrated
and malnourished.

Detectives learned that Gonzalez and Frias had apparently been abusing the child for a prolonged period of time.

“Detective Laura Marks testified that the mother told her she
allowed Frias to beat on the boy like a man would beat on a man in a
gang,” Foy said.

Judge John Tomberlin is expected to set a date for the couple’s arraignment soon.