NEW MEXICO News

Ever since the death of baby Brianna Lopez, community members across
Dona Ana County have been trying to find a way to combat an ongoing
problem of child abuse. But now residents believe they may have found a
solution with the future home of the Child Crises Center by La Pinon
Sexual Assault Recovery Services of Southern New Mexico.“A
physical location for families to come who need help and direction and
are in crises with their children 0-5 years old,” said La Pinon
executive director Donna Richmond.The idea is simple: once
complete, the shelter will be fully staffed 24 hours a day, and if a
child is in danger at home, the child can come here for 30 days or until
a parent is ready to further care for their child. Basically it’s an
outlet for frustrated or helpless parents.“It's hard to have a
child at 23 but when you're having them at 13, 14 and 15, you barely
understand yourself much less a 2-year-old who is crying in the middle
of the night because they're sick,” said Bernadine Dallago of La Pinon.“Parents
don't know where to turn, so this will give them a place to turn,” said
Richmond.The child crises center is still a work in progress but
already on the wall are these seven silhouettes that represent the
seven children killed in 2009 due to child abuse in Dona Ana County.“As
soon as we started talking about the child crises center, we started
receiving phone calls from around the community to see if we're ready to
start taking kids,” said Dallago.And physical abuse isn't the
only problem taking place in Dona Ana County.“In sexual assault,
we're seeing four to five kids a month resulting to child abuse, so it's
very concerning what's happening to our little kids,” said Dallago.The
facility is hoping to open by the end of 2010 and has plans to
eventually host children older than 5.

Poster's Note: Here's an archived story about Brianna Lopez

The autopsy of 5-month-old Brianna Lopez revealed she had suffered abuse
most of her short life in what deputies say is one of the worst cases
of child abuse they have ever seen.
Her parents are among those charged with her death.
Brianna was pronounced dead Friday morning at Memorial Medical Center
after she was rushed there when attempts to revive her failed, Doa Ana
County Sheriffs Sgt. Ed Miranda said.
Friday night, police arrested Briannas parents, Stephanie Lopez, 19, and
Andy Walters, 21, and uncle, Steven Lopez, 19. They each are charged
with child abuse resulting in death. Walters also was charged with
criminal sexual penetration of the baby.
Deputies have now interviewed the six adults and two children who lived
in the home with Brianna. Miranda said the family is being cooperative.
The autopsy revealed a long list of injuries that appeared to have been
inflicted over an extended period of time upon the little girl who was
born on Valentines Day.
On Monday, Miranda detailed the multiple injuries found on the babys
body. He said Brianna had 11 human bite marks in varied stages of
healing, multiple bruises, fractures to two right ribs, three skull
fractures, swelling of the brain and signs of shaken baby syndrome.
Brianna also had fractures to both legs, an injury experts say is
commonly caused by picking up the child with a quick, jerking motion by
the legs.



Investigators will obtain dental impressions to determine who made the
bite marks.
In court records, Walters admitted to biting Brianna, but said he "did
not take a chunk out of her." Walters said his 18-month-old son also bit
the baby. He said that Stephanie Lopez also bit and pinched her when
she became frustrated with Brianna.
According to Miranda, Walters and Steven Lopez were drinking beer
Thursday night when they began to toss Brianna into the air, hitting her
head on the ceiling and at least twice failing to catch her before she
hit the floor.
Stephen Lopez told investigators that he had drunk 10 beers from a case
that Walters admitted buying.
Stephanie Lopez said she had about three beers, then fell asleep. The
next morning, she told investigators, she found Brianna on the floor and
was unable to wake her.
Walters said when Stephanie Lopez asked what happened to Brianna, he
told her "we played a little rough with her last night."
Miranda said additional charges will be filed.
"There are definite signs of neglect and failure to protect," he said.
The three defendants were arraigned Monday, and bond was set at $250,000
each, Miranda said.
Miranda said it is the worst case of child abuse he has seen in his law
enforcement career.
"Brianna has been the most severe," Miranda said. "This is a difficult
case that is complex to work."
The investigation and what it has revealed has been emotional for the
officers working on the case. Miranda said counselors were brought in
Monday night to help them deal with the case.
"When you have parents hurting children, you have a lot of emotions,"
Miranda said.
Sheriffs records show no child abuse reports made at the home. Miranda
said there have been domestic disturbance calls, but none involving
children.
The two other children, Briannas 18-month-old brother and 8-year-old
uncle, are in protective custody. Miranda said the children have no
visible signs of neglect or abuse.
Miranda said while law enforcement, medical personnel and teachers are
required to report suspected child abuse, it is the communitys duty to
do the same.

Timeline of events according to police documents

Thursday night, July 18th, at 6 p.m., Andy Walters stopped to buy a case
of beer, and headed home to 5243 Comanche Trail in Las Cruces.

Three people-- Walters, 21, Stephanie Lopez, 19, and her twin brother
Steven Lopez, 19, drink through the evening.

Stephanie went to bed after about three beers. According to court
documents, Andy Walters and Steven Lopez admitted to playing with
Stephanie and Walters's 5-month old daughter, Brianna.

Police records show that Walters and Lopez threw the child into the air,
causing her to hit her head on the ceiling 3 times, then dropped her
twice on the floor.

Andy Walters told investigators that Brianna was conscious and crying.

At around 12:30 a.m., Friday morning, Andy Walters fell asleep not
knowing where Brianna was.

At three in the morning, Walters says he awoke to find Brianna on the
floor near the bed. He said he wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a
bouncer.

By 7 a.m., Brianna needed a diaper change. Stephanie Lopez asked about
the bruises on Brianna, and according to court documents, Walters
admitted that he and Steven Lopez "played a little rough with her".

Walters changed the diaper and took a baby wipe, wrapped it around his
index finger and inserted it into brianna's anus.

The complaint also states Andy Walters admitted he bit Brianna on
several occasions, but he told Dona Ana County Sheriff's Deputies he is
not not the only family member to bite Brianna.

Walters also told authorites that Stephanie Lopez pinched and threw
Brianna out of frustration.

The uncle, Steven Lopez, admits to throwing Brianna in the air and not
catching her. Steven Lopez claims to have drunk ten beers the previous
night.

During his interview with Sheriff's Deputies, Steven Lopez admitted to
having sex with Brianna Lopez. (she was 5 months old!!!)
Adding that he, as well as Andy Walters, had penetrated Brianna on
several different occasions.

By 10 a.m., July 19th, Stephanie Lopez checks on her daughter, notices
Brianna is not breathing, and she calls 9-1-1.

11:10 am, Friday July 19th, five month old Brianna Lopez dies at
Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces.

Autopsy results show Brianna Lopez had 11 bite marks on her body, broken
ribs, skull fractures, bleeding of the optic nerves and brain swelling.

LAS CRUCES - It's mid-July and it should be the
last few weeks of summer vacation before Brianna Mariah Lopez began
fourth grade.But instead of being a normal, anonymous elementary school student,
Brianna became the bruised and brutalized face of child abuse nine years
ago Tuesday, when the 5-month-old was raped, flung across a room,
bitten and brutalized until she died.District Attorney Amy Orlando stopped by the grave first thing Tuesday
morning, leaving a little stuffed dog with angel wings. She returned
with others at mid-day, to lay a bouquet of pink roses."I think the anniversary of Brianna's death should remind everyone how
precious our children are and how we need to protect them," Orlando
said. "I am committed to prosecuting and holding anybody who hurts
children accountable to the maximum that's allowed by law."That maximum has changed since Brianna's death, which triggered
legislation that now allows for a maximum life imprisonment in cases of
child abuse resulting in death - something that wasn't possible for
Brianna's father, Andrew Walters, then 21, and her uncle, Steven Lopez,
then 19, her abusers, or her mother, Stephanie Lopez, then 19, who
failed to report the crimes and is expected to be released from prison
in 2016.However, the first of six defendants charged under the law in 2007,
Robert J. Flores, is still awaiting trial. Since the state appealed a
defense motion to suppress certain evidence, the case is not likely to
be tried this year,
said Orlando, who called the delay "frustrating."Flores, now 26, faces accusations that he caused the suffocation death
of his baby daughter three and a half years ago. He allegedly left
4-month-old Kalynne Flores in a laundry basket full of clothing in a
closet before leaving his apartment to buy beer. An Artesia native who
is free on a $50,000 cash bond, Flores has pleaded not guilty on all
counts.In addition to the strengthened penalties for child abuse, Brianna's
legacy includes the Child Crisis Center of Southern New Mexico, a
long-supported project that finally opened its doors last December, to
provide respite for parents at the end of their wits, who might be at
risk of striking, shaking, throwing or screaming at their little one. In
a poor county in a poor state, that possibility is higher than average.
A British study published in November found that babies in poor
families
are 17 times more likely to die via "unintentional injury." Donna
Richmond, executive director of La Piñon Sexual Assault Recovery
Services of Southern New Mexico, which operates the complex, says while
child
abuse still happens in Doña Ana County, the community is on alert."The
community is aware that child abuse is taking place and they do
want to help children who are being abused and want to prevent children
from being abused," Richmond said. "I think awareness has definitely
been heightened by the tragedy of Baby Brianna and our community was
able
to come together and create the child crisis center.Of the 62 children
who have spent time at the center since its opening,
Richmond says a few of their families "may have been on the brink" of
neglect - or something worse."I think we need to support families with young children," Richmond
said. "I think we need to be neighborly toward them and maybe if your
friend or neighbor or family member has children, offer to help out,
cook a meal, take the child to the park. And I think the community needs
to continue to report child abuse."Orlando agreed."I see more people reporting the first time they see something - we get a
lot more neighbors or people who call from the mall or, we got a call
from a hotel because they saw a child walking around unattended, so I
think people are aware and willing to stand up for kids."One of the mourners who gathered at Brianna's grave Tuesday afternoon
was a woman with her 21-month-old baby, who was awed by the whimsical
toys left at the infant's grave, Orlando noted."It makes you see how precious they are," she said, "and so full of
life. It breaks your heart to think about what Brianna could have been."
Ashley Meeks can be reached at (575) 541-5462
13 Doña Ana County children - all 5 and younger - have died as a result of child abuse in the past decade: Jade Goenaga was taken off life support Nov. 10, 2011 after her
father and a doctor found her alternately unresponsive, limp and
vomiting. At a hospital in El Paso, pediatric specialists said Jade had
suffered head trauma consistent with shaken baby syndrome, allegedly at
the hands of her 17-year-old mother. Angel Lorraine Jimenez died June 24, 2010 after abuse that left
the 5-year-old bruised back and front and head to toe, dotted with more
than a dozen puncture wounds, her brain bleeding, a rib broken, her
chest scratched and a human bite mark on her ankle. There were also
allegedly signs Jimenez was raped. Isaiah Lawrence Jimenez died Aug. 4, 2009, after a caretaker
allegedly tossed the 4-month-old in the air, caught him by the legs and
held him face down on a pillow with his arms behind the baby's back. Daniel Medina died March 6, 2009 after autopsy revealed the
6-month-old had suffered multiple sources of bleeding in his brain and
bleeding in and around his eyes, consistent with abuse. Armando Wood died Dec. 3, 2008 after suffering blunt-force
injuries to his head and neck, bruising to his face and chest, bleeding
and swelling in his brain and a fractured collarbone after the
21-month-old was allegedly shaken by the shoulders and grabbed by the
chin. Kalynne Flores died Dec. 6, 2007 after the 4-month old was
allegedly placed in a laundry basket full of unfolded clothes and left
in a closet suffocating. Diana Urrutia died Jan. 15, 2005 after the prematurely born
5-week-old suffered broken legs and ribs and massive head injuries at
the hands of her father. Uriah Vasquez-Ordoñez died July 29, 2004 after the 15-month-old
suffered a massive head injury from being picked up by the ears and
thrown in an empty bathtub, then had his body burned and buried in the
desert. Sierra Browning died July 27, 2004 after the 5-month-old was allegedly thrown on the ground, where she landed on her head. Devon Boothe died Sept. 23, 2002 after the 4-year-old was
beaten to death by his 10-year-old sister, allegedly on the order of
their stepfather. Brianna Lopez died July 19, 2002 after the 5-month-old was
thrown, bit and raped by her father and uncle, resulting in bruises and
rib and skull fractures. Ameil Valverde died Feb. 3, 2002 after his father allegedly
threw the 13-month-old into a wall, resulting in bruises on his chest,
arms, legs and back and a skull fracture. Rodrigo Bravo died July 17, 2001 after his mother allegedly
banged the 4-year-old's head against a wall several times after he
fainted, causing the injuries that led to his death.
Get involved


Report abuse or neglect to the Children, Youth and Families Department
at (800) 797-3260 or dial #SAFE (7233)
Need someone to listen? Call La Piñon free, local ParenTalk "warmline"
for parents and caregivers at (575) 636-3133 or KidTalk (575) 636-3636
In crisis? Call the Child Crisis Center of Southern New Mexico at
(575) 525-1277
Sign up for updates and join discussions with other locals on the
Child Crisis Center's Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/pages/Child-Crisis-Center-of-SNM/115146745197988

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_18509479

SANTA FE - Gov. Susana Martinez on Wednesday vetoed a crime bill she said
actually would have undercut district attorneys in high-stakes cases.The
bill as first drafted permitted sentences of life in prison without
possibility of parole for those convicted of first-degree murder of a child.
But Martinez said amendments to the bill by the Senate
Judiciary Committee created something different by allowing exceptions
based on the age of the killer and the particulars of the crime.
Martinez, a former district attorney, said one effect of the rewritten bill could
have been lighter punishment for certain killers.
For instance, she said, if a 17-year-old murdered a police officer in the line of
duty, the amended bill would shield the killer
from a life prison term without parole.
Martinez said in her veto message that she would have supported the original bill, but could not accept the changes to it.
The sponsor, Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, said she did not believe amendments to her bill made the legal system less strict.
"I'm devastated," Garcia, D-Do-a Ana, said of the veto.
Garcia said her intent was simple: She wanted to target predatory child
killers, such as the murderer of Adam Walsh in Florida. Walsh was 6
years old when somebody abducted him from a mall and murdered him.
Serial killer Ottis Toole subsequently confessed to killing the boy, though he
recanted and died without being tried in Walsh's death.
Garcia said those who prey on children younger than 13
should face the harshest penalty available in New Mexico life in prison
without the chance of parole. New Mexico legislators outlawed the death
penalty in 2009.Garcia said she did not know if the governor vetoed
on the bill because of their political disagreements over driver's
licenses for illegal immigrants or forced retention of third-graders who
are in the bottom tier on reading tests.
But Martinez, in her
veto message, applauded Garcia for the original bill. Martinez said the
amended version simply had holes in it.
As originally drafted, the
bill would have meant life without parole possible for Tiffany Toribio,
who pleaded guilty to suffocating her toddler son, then burying him at a
playground in Albuquerque, Martinez said.
But, she said, an amendment to Garcia's bill said the
punishment of life without parole depended on the child being "forcibly abducted."
"Clearly, Ms. Toribio did not forcibly abduct her son before she intentionally killed him," Martinez said.
Garcia said she had not intended her bill as one to heighten punishments for
abusive parents. She said she wanted to strengthen the law so that child
predators who kill could never get out of prison.
Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, was one of two senators who voted against
the bill. He said he did not understand the logic of increasing
sentences based on the narrow circumstances that Garcia outlined.
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_20126748/gov-martinez-vetoes-bill-child-murder