"Jane" MORENO - 12 yo - Fort Pierce FL

For the short-haired girl, about age 12, life was a demeaning grind
except for school and sleeping, according to neighbors and sheriff's
reports.

At her parents' direction, she was kept outside working, doing such
things as picking up pine needles until there was just bare sand.

Or she washed her family's laundry.

Or walked the dogs and then came home to her bathroom being a portion
of the backyard of their single-family home in the 8400 block of
Pensacola Road, according to sheriff's reports. Her bed was the floor.

"It was like the Cinderella story," said next-door neighbor April Jordan.

On several occasions an unidentified relative complained to the
Florida Department of Children and Families and each time visits to the
home and interviews didn't substantiate allegations of abuse, said DCF
spokeswoman Cheri Sheffer, of Fort Pierce.

But on Saturday sheriff's investigators answered a hang-up 911 call
from the home about an argument between the wife and husband, Joanna and
Juan Moreno, of the 840 block of Pensacola Road. He accused her of
cheating on him, reports show.

At the house an investigator became suspicious when the girl's
stepmother appeared hesitant to answer questions about the girl. So the
investigator talked with the youth who was quoted as saying she was kept
outside while her father was at work. Or even later, according to
neighbors.

"I've seen her outside until midnight," shuffling around with her
head down, said Michael Cohen, who lived next door for three years.

At Christmas she was on the roof putting up decorations, as her
31-year-old stepmother and her 34-year-old father and two younger
sisters, ages 6 and 10, watched from the yard below, Cohen said.

On the garage door are signs advertising a wedding business.

The two youngest girls have long hair and were kept inside and clean.
The older girl's hair was cut short like a boy and she washed her
clothes in a bucket.

On Saturday deputies charged the parents with felony child abuse of
the girl and with domestic battery in connection with their argument,
reports show.

The girl, according to investigators, accused the stepmother of being
mentally and physically abusive and "was crying and hysterical at the
idea that her father would be in jail and she would be alone with her
stepmother."

He has bailed out of bail and didn't stop when driving by their
single-story home where television crews were positioned most of the day
Monday, neighbors said.

The girls have been put in the care of relatives while DCF investigates the case.

The mother remains in jail pending being picked up by federal immigration authorities, a sheriff's official said.

"I think (the girl) is glad," April Jordan said.

The backyard has a small pool. "I never saw her in a bathing suit" or in the pool, Cohen said.

When the girl's father came home from his landscaping work, Cohen said she always helped him unload his tools.

"I kind of wanted to say something," Cohen said. "But we have to live next door."
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/apr/11/no-headline---tc_sl_backyard_girl/

The State Attorney's Office has dropped child abuse charges against
the father of a preteen girl who in April was found living in filth in
the backyard of a Lakewood Park home.

But prosecutors added more charges against the girl's stepmother.

Joanna Moreno, 31, now is charged with two counts of child abuse and
one count each of battery, child neglect and contributing to the
delinquency or dependency of a child. She had faced a single count of
child abuse.

Charges of battery by strangulation and child abuse against 34-year-old

Juan Moreno were dropped.

"Based on information from our investigation post-arrest, we
determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed with charges
against the father," Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl said Monday.
"However, our investigation led to additional charges against the
(step)mother. These are the charges we feel we can support at trial."

The Morenos were arrested April 9 after St. Lucie County Sheriff's
Office deputies responded to a 911 hang-up call reporting a domestic
altercation.

Deputies who went to the house in the 8400 block of Pensacola Road
found a girl about 12 years old who appeared dirty and ill-clothed.
Investigators were told the girl was forced to spend most of her time in
the backyard and was allowed inside only at night to sleep on the floor
without sheets and blankets.

The girl told deputies she was not allowed to use the bathroom in the
house, had to shower outdoors and had to wash her clothes in a bucket.
Deputies reported finding the shower and bucket, as well as an area that
had been used as a latrine.

Two younger children in the home looked to be well cared for, reports show.

Soon after the arrest, Assistant State Attorney Linda Baldree said
initial information indicated Joanna Moreno "was the abuser and (Juan
Moreno) failed to protect" the girl.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/may/09/fort-pierce-abuse-case-father-cleared-more/

I can't believe they dropped the charges against the father. He allowed this woman to abuse his daughter. He did nothing to stop it. He needs to be in jail. I hope he this poor little girl doesn't still have to live with him.

No justice here.