CARMEN EILLIS - 3 yo/ Accused: Jose Cruz (Mother's boyfriend) - Indianaplois IN

Police Suspect Abuse In Killing Of 3-Year-Old
Boyfriend Of Toddler's Mother Arrested

POSTED: 11:06 pm EDT August 22, 2012
UPDATED: 8:49 am EDT August 23, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS -- A man was arrested after police found an unresponsive 3-year-old girl who later died.

Indianapolis police were called to the Spanish Oak Apartments on the city's east side Tuesday afternoon on a report of a possibly deceased child.

Police said when they arrived, Jose Cruz, 20, was in the apartment, hysterical and wet with sweat, and they found the girl.

A police report said that when officers arrived, they found the toddler wearing only a T-shirt, with bruises from head to toe.

The child was taken to Riley Hospital for Children in critical condition. She was kept on life support so her organs could be donated.

Police arrested Cruz, the boyfriend of the toddler's mother, on an attempted murder charge that is expected to be upgraded.

Reports show a family friend called police last month to report Cruz abusing the same child, but neighbors said they didn't see the signs.

"We always see her playing around outside -- a happy little girl, a happy 3-year-old," one neighbor told RTV6's Ebone Monet.

Sandy Runkle-Delorme, with Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, said most Indiana child abuse victims who die are 3 years old or younger, so it's important for people to speak up about any possible case of child abuse.

"If you're wrong, then great. If you're right, you're right. You might have prevented a tragedy," she said.

The child's mother was also at the apartment with her infant son. That child has been placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/31377177/detail.html

Boyfriend of mother charged in death of 3-year-old girl

9:22 PM, Aug. 22, 2012

Police have arrested the boyfriend of the mother of a 3-year-old Indianapolis girl who was found unresponsive and “covered head to toe in bruises.”

The toddler, Carmen Ellis, died Wednesday, the Marion County Coroner’s office confirmed.

Carmen had been kept alive Wednesday to allow her organs to be donated.

The arrest of Jose Cruz, 20, on preliminary charges of attempted murder Tuesday comes just more than over a month after police and a Department of Child Services caseworker investigated an allegation of child abuse made by an acquaintance of Carmen’s mother.

The person who called police in July told them Carmen had suspicious-looking “possible bite marks on her face and fresh bruises on her body,” according to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department incident report.

Cruz was interviewed by IMPD on July 13, but he was not arrested or charged. Instead, police contacted DCS and a case worker came to the scene.

The DCS worker said she would conduct follow up interviews with the child and her mother, who was in the hospital at the time, according to the incident report.

The DCS worker relieved the officer, the report said, and explained she would “handle the incident from here and contact any further assistance needed.”

Kendale Adams, an IMPD spokesman, said DCS completed a report and the IMPD investigator in charge of the new case is aware of what it contains.

Adams declined to say what DCS concluded regarding the July incident, but said DCS did not suggest that officials press charges at the time.

Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for DCS, confirmed the agency “recently had contact with the family.” She said federal and state confidentiality rules prohibit her from providing any more details about that interaction.

“A near-fatality assessment,” McFarland said, “has now been opened — sadly.”

Carmen’s death will mark at least the 28th death of a child since September 2007 in which DCS either was actively involved with the family, had recently been involved or had been contacted with concerns of abuse or neglect.

McFarland, the DCS spokeswoman, said the tragedy involving Carmen highlights how “child protection work is always challenged with unpredictable situations.”

“As with law enforcement and other fields involving safety,” McFarland said, “professionals make decisions based on the best information they have available.”

Dawn Robertson of the family and children’s advocacy group HonkForKids.com, took a harder stand. She said the case is yet another sign that Indiana’s child welfare system still fails too many vulnerable children.

“How in the world could they miss that — bruises and bite-marks are a no-brainer,” said Robertson, a frequent critic of DCS. “How many dead children are we going to have before they realize how screwed up things really are?”

Indianapolis police officers found Carmen’s battered body when they responded to a call about a possible child death in the 3700 block of Long Wharf Drive at 2:24 p.m. Tuesday. She was unresponsive and taken to Riley Hospital, where she was initially reported in critical condition.

Cruz, who was in the living room when police arrived, was “hysterical,” the report said.

He was arrested Tuesday on a preliminary charge of attempted murder. Adams said the charge is likely to be upgraded to murder, but no formal charges had been filed as of the close of courts Wednesday.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120822/NEWS02/120822041/3-year-old-girl-found-unresponsive-is-near-death-dad-preliminarily-charged-?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

Covered from head to toe in bruises with bite marks on her
face': Tragedy of girl, three, who died after 'being attacked by
mother's boyfriend'

• Carmen Ellis, 3, was found Tuesday at her mother's suburban Indianapolis home lifeless 'covered in bruises'
  
• Taken off life support Wednesday after organs donated
  
• Mother's boyfriend, Jose Cruz, charged with attempted murder
  
• Authorities likely to upgrade charge to murder
  

PUBLISHED: 13:55 EST, 23 August 2012 | UPDATED: 14:56 EST, 23 August 2012

A three-year-old has died after being found unresponsive and ‘covered head to toe in bruises’ at her mother’s house.

Carmen Ellis, described as her grandmother as full of love, was on a
ventilator at a hospital in Indianapolis, but died late last night.

Twenty-year-old Jose Cruz, the boyfriend of Carmen’s mother, has been arrested in the
girl’s death, and is facing preliminary charges of attempted murder.




Tragic end: Little Carmen Ellis, 3, left, was found in her mother's home
unresponsive and covered in bruises and was later taken off life
support; her mother's boyfriend, Jose Cruz, right, has been arrested
over her death


Life cut short: Carmen, pictured in a pink Barbie Jeep, was described by her grandmother as full of love

Police received a call on Tuesday to go to Long Wharf Drive in Warren Woods, Indiana, about 13 miles outside Indianapolis.

According to WISH-TV, that’s when police discovered little Carmen in a bedroom with her mother, limp and allegedly covered head-to-toe in bruises.

The girl was rushed to the hospital and put on life support.
She was kept alive until Wednesday so her organs could be donated, Indystar.com reported.

Officers found Cruz in the house wearing a sopping wet T-shirt and looking crazed.



House of horror: Authorities found Cruz in a wet T-shirt acting hysterical

This isn’t Cruz’s first brush-in with authorities. In July, a concerned
neighbour called the police last month, reporting possible bite marks on
the girl’s face.

However, the case was handed over to Child Services.

Carmen’s grandmother, Tina Ellis, told WISH-TV: ‘Carmen is a beautiful three year old girl. She is smart, very smart.’

Authorities said Carmen’s mother is currently not facing charges, but could, based
on what officers find in their on-going investigation.

Cruz’s charge will likely be upgraded to murder.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2192671/Mothers-boyfriend-20-charged-daughter-3-dies-covered-head-toe-bruises-bite-marks-face.html#ixzz24Qb70eXK

Threads merged.

What a freakin animal. This asshat acts like a pitbull. I hope they lock his carcass up and throw away the key. Better yet, throw some pitbulls in with him and them have at him.

This is so sickening. Abuse was reported just last month with bruises and bite marks and DCF does nothing. Why did the mother stay with this vicious violent pig. She should have kicked his arse out and protected that poor baby. This just makes me want to vomit.

'Papa, I hate you': Last words of tragic girl, 3, who was 'shaken and beaten to death by her mother’s boyfriend'

• Carmen Ellis, 3, was found Tuesday at her mother's suburban Indianapolis home lifeless 'covered in bruises'

• Taken off life support Wednesday after organs donated

• Mother's boyfriend, Jose Cruz, charged with murder

• Girl's last words were: 'Papa, I hate you'

By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 12:27 EST, 24 August 2012
UPDATED: 12:51 EST, 24 August 2012

The last words of a three-year-old girl who was taken to the emergency room covered in bruises and bite marks were, ‘Papa, I hate you,’ according to court documents.

Carmen Ellis, a beaming little girl with big brown eyes, was taken off life support Wednesday after succumbing to her injuries.

Jose Cruz, the boyfriend of Carmen Ellis’ mother, told investigators that he lost his temper with the girl, beating the toddler repeatedly with a belt and shaking her, the documents read.

Cruz said that he ‘blanked out’ and ‘lost it’ after Carmen began vomiting, according to the documents obtained by Indystar.com.

Her mother, Samantha Ellis, told investigators that Cruz insisted her daughter would heal on her own and did not want to take her to the hospital.

He is charged with murder, and will next appear in court in November. Until then, he is being held in solitary confinement.

Police received a call on Tuesday to go to Long Wharf Drive in Warren Woods, Indiana, about 13 miles outside Indianapolis.
According to WISH-TV, that’s when police discovered little Carmen in a bedroom with her mother, limp and allegedly covered head-to-toe in bruises.

The girl was rushed to the hospital and put on life support.

She was kept alive until Wednesday so her organs could be donated, Indystar.com reported.

Officers found Cruz in the house wearing a sopping wet T-shirt and looking crazed.

This isn’t Cruz’s first brush-in with authorities. In July, a concerned neighbour called the police last month, reporting possible bite marks on the girl’s face.

However, the case was handed over to Child Services.

Carmen’s grandmother, Tina Ellis, told WISH-TV: ‘Carmen is a beautiful three year old girl. She is smart, very smart.’

Authorities said Carmen’s mother is currently not facing charges, but could, based on what officers find in their on-going investigation.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2193176/Carmen-Ellis-death-Last-words-Jose-Cruz-Papa-I-hate-you.html#ixzz24l02RrG8

Woman warned Department of Child Services about potential abuse 5 weeks before death of 3-year-old

2:57 PM, Aug. 24, 2012
Written by Tim Evans

Chasity Parksey can't find the word to express her feelings as she scrolls through photographs on her smart phone -- images she was certain someone from the Department of Child Services would want to see.

The photos are of 3-year-old Carmen Ellis. One depicts a bruise on her right cheek. The other shows similar bruises on her left cheek and another over her eye.

Parksey snapped the photos on July 13 during a visit to an Eastside home where her sister and the woman's boyfriend lived with another couple and two small children. She also called police.

Parksey said she saved the pictures of Carmen on her phone, expecting someone from DCS to follow up with her.

But no one from DCS ever contacted Parksey. Nor, she said, did anyone from IMPD.

On Monday -- roughly five weeks after Parksey snapped those photos and alerted police, who in turn alerted DCS -- police responded to another call at a Far Eastside home. This time they found Carmen "covered head to toe in bruises." She died the next day.

Her mother's boyfriend, Jose Cruz, 20, is facing a murder charges in Carmen's death death.

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department report from July confirms it was Parksey who called police. The report says officers tracked down and interviewed Cruz. They made no arrest, but contacted DCS.

The report says a DCS caseworker "relieved (the IMPD officer who initially responded) and stated she would handle the incident from here."

A DCS spokeswoman confirmed the agency "recently had contact with the family," but said state and federal confidentiality laws prohibit her from providing any more details about the agency's involvement and actions.

"I thought (DCS) was going to check her out," Parksey said. "I can't understand how they could leave that little baby with them if they saw the things I saw."

Carmen's mother, Samatha Ellis and Cruz moved out soon after Parksey called police and she said she had no other contact with the couple or Carmen.

Parksey said she was devastated when she learned of Carmen's death. It triggered a flood of emotions -- including anger and frustration.

Parksey said she had gone to visit her sister that day in July to talk to her sister about bridesmaid dresses for her wedding next month. During the visit, she heard Carmen crying in a back room.

"I asked if I could go get her," Parksey recalled. "She was in a soaked diaper and when I picked her up she just loved on me and loved on me. She wouldn't let go of me."

But it didn't take long for Parksey to notice something else about the affectionate little girl. It was so disturbing that she confronted Cruz, even though she didn't know him well.

"She had a bald spot on her head where her hair had been pulled out," Parksey said, "and bruises all over her."

When she asked Cruz about the injuries, Parksey said he blamed "ghosts."

"I told him I wasn't crazy," she said, "and I took the baby outside and started taking pictures."

Parksey said Cruz soon came outside and the two got in an argument. That's when Cruz snatched Carmen from Parksey and fled the scene -- before she could snap more photos of a bite-mark on the child's stomach and what appeared to be a hickey on the back of her neck.

Parksey called police, who located Cruz, along with Carmen, a short time later at Community North Hospital, where Samanth Ellis was a patient. After the officer notified DCS, a case worker came to the hospital.

The DCS investigator, the police report said, "collected information from all parties involved."

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120824/NEWS02/208240348/Aunt-slain-3-year-old-warned-Child-Services

CPS denies prior calls of inaction in young girl's death

http://www.wthr.com/story/19371391/cps-denies-inaction-in-young-girls-death?clienttype=printable

Very sad. Pictures that Chasity Parksey took.

The mother knew this monster was abusing her child and she needs to be charged as well and have any other children taken away from her. This is snipped from one of the articles above which indicates she didn't even get this poor baby medical attention and she knew he abused her. SHE NEEDS TO BE CHARGED.

Snipped from an article above:
"Her mother, Samantha Ellis, told investigators that Cruz insisted her daughter would heal on her own and did not want to take her to the hospital."

This is so sad. Why didn't CPS contact the woman who called. She didn't make an anon call... she had pictures to share.
I agree, the mom needs charges too.

Authorities investigating if mom had involvement in death of 3-year-old daughter last week

4:05 PM, Aug. 28, 2012

Authorities are still investigating whether Samantha Ellis had any involvement in the death of her 3-year-old daughter last week.

A spokeswoman for Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry’s office said Tuesday that the case is ongoing .

According to police reports, Samantha Ellis was at the home where her boyfriend Jose Cruz, 20, allegedly beat Carmen until she was covered in bruises and unresponsive. Police found the girl in her mother’s arms when they arrived. Carmen died at the hospital a day later.

According to court documents, Ellis told investigators she knew about Carmen’s injuries and that Cruz had an excuse whenever she asked about them.

She said Cruz told her not to take Carmen to the hospital Tuesday and that she would heal on her own. Ellis also told investigators she was afraid to take Carmen to the hospital, fearing that Cruz would be mad and take it out on her, documents said.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120828/NEWS/120828050/Authorities-investigating-mom-had-involvement-death-3-year-old-daughter-last-week

mom_in_il wrote:Authorities investigating if mom had involvement in death of 3-year-old daughter last week

4:05 PM, Aug. 28, 2012

Authorities are still investigating whether Samantha Ellis had any involvement in the death of her 3-year-old daughter last week.

A spokeswoman for Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry’s office said Tuesday that the case is ongoing .

According to police reports, Samantha Ellis was at the home where her boyfriend Jose Cruz, 20, allegedly beat Carmen until she was covered in bruises and unresponsive. Police found the girl in her mother’s arms when they arrived. Carmen died at the hospital a day later.

According to court documents, Ellis told investigators she knew about Carmen’s injuries and that Cruz had an excuse whenever she asked about them.

She said Cruz told her not to take Carmen to the hospital Tuesday and that she would heal on her own. Ellis also told investigators she was afraid to take Carmen to the hospital, fearing that Cruz would be mad and take it out on her, documents said.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120828/NEWS/120828050/Authorities-investigating-mom-had-involvement-death-3-year-old-daughter-last-week

Afraid he would take it out on her? Really... but you thought your baby girl deserved to have his anger taken out on her? She deserves charges, at least neglect or faily to report or something, she deserves to spend some time in prison. That mentality makes me sick. The way I see, the SOB has to sleep sometime... you can take that oppurtunity to run. Or, attack him back... at that point it's self defense. I don't understand when women feel like this; allow your baby to be beat and killed because you're scared what he might do to you? Ugh this makes me so pissed!

Gingernlw wrote:

mom_in_il wrote:Authorities investigating if mom had involvement in death of 3-year-old daughter last week

4:05 PM, Aug. 28, 2012

Authorities are still investigating whether Samantha Ellis had any involvement in the death of her 3-year-old daughter last week.

A spokeswoman for Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry’s office said Tuesday that the case is ongoing .

According to police reports, Samantha Ellis was at the home where her boyfriend Jose Cruz, 20, allegedly beat Carmen until she was covered in bruises and unresponsive. Police found the girl in her mother’s arms when they arrived. Carmen died at the hospital a day later.

According to court documents, Ellis told investigators she knew about Carmen’s injuries and that Cruz had an excuse whenever she asked about them.

She said Cruz told her not to take Carmen to the hospital Tuesday and that she would heal on her own. Ellis also told investigators she was afraid to take Carmen to the hospital, fearing that Cruz would be mad and take it out on her, documents said.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20120828/NEWS/120828050/Authorities-investigating-mom-had-involvement-death-3-year-old-daughter-last-week

Afraid he would take it out on her? Really... but you thought your baby girl deserved to have his anger taken out on her? She deserves charges, at least neglect or faily to report or something, she deserves to spend some time in prison. That mentality makes me sick. The way I see, the SOB has to sleep sometime... you can take that oppurtunity to run. Or, attack him back... at that point it's self defense. I don't understand when women feel like this; allow your baby to be beat and killed because you're scared what he might do to you? Ugh this makes me so pissed!

I agree, she needs prison time. She should not have taken him into her home and subjected her baby to his torture in the first place. She should have been willing to die to protect her child. Even animals protect their young.

They should send her to a vet to be spayed.