An 8-year-old girl was found locked in a cage at a home in new Mexico this week. Cindy Patriarchias and her live-in boyfriend, Edmond Gonzales, were arrested for child abuse.
According to the Las Cruces Sun , Patriarchias, 33, was charged with one count of negligent child abuse. Gonzalez was charged with permitting child abuse.
The Sun reports Patriarchias and her other three children went to a movie at a Columbia Elementary School on Friday night. Patriarchias’ estranged husband noticed that the 8-year-old wasn’t present at the school and called police.
The Las Cruces Police Department arrived at the trailer home at about 7:30 and waited for about an hour for the family to return home.
When Patriarchias and her other three children returned to the mobile home the officers began their search for the little girl.
One of the officers found the girl locked in a wooden cage in one of the bedrooms. The officer freed the girl and her took her away from the home. The Las Cruces Police Department said that the girl did not appear to be suffering from any physical injuries.
Fox News reports that the wooden cage was about 30 inches wide, 60 inches long and 50 inches tall, or about the size of a baby crib.
According to ABC News , the 8-year-old girl suffers from microcephaly, a neurological condition that is often associated with a smaller had than normal and developmental issues.