Police: Family members kept teen in cage, abused her to death
TEMPE, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) — Two family members are accused of abusing a teen girl, who had the mental capacity of a toddler, to death.
Police in Arizona said they were called to a Tempe home near U.S. Route 60 and Mill Avenue just before 9 p.m. Tuesday after Virginia Lujan’s 13-year-old granddaughter was found not breathing.
Lujan, 55, reportedly told police that the girl fell down the stairs on Sunday night and said she didn’t get medical help because she thought the girl would be fine.
Officers said the girl was covered in bruises and sores that were in different stages of healing.
The 13-year-old was rushed to the hospital and she died on Wednesday morning.
Investigators said the teen had a cognitive delay and the mental capacity of a 3-year-old.
“The Tempe Police Department is committed to holding these individuals responsible and ensuring that no child endures this type of suffering,” Tempe Police Chief Kenneth McCoy said during a Thursday afternoon briefing.
After the girl’s death, police said they searched the home and found what appeared to be a makeshift “cage,” which was full of feces and smelled.
“The best way to describe it, it was a bunk bed, but the lower bed of that bunk was not there. And the bunk bed around the bottom was surrounded by baby cages and makeshift bars,” Tempe police spokesperson Jessica Ells described.
Lujan and the victim’s mother admitted to keeping the girl in the cage to keep control of her, police said.
According to investigators, the 33-year-old mother didn’t know about the fall. She was temporarily staying with Lujan, who was caring for four of her five children, including the teen.
“The home was very disorderly. It was not very clean,” Ells said. “It was just very deplorable conditions, to say the least.”
The mother admitted she hadn’t seen her 13-year-old regularly since staying at Lujan’s home.
Ciara Lessard, a resident in the neighborhood, said she never saw signs of abuse with the other children who lived in the home, but thought they acted a little strange.
“The kids just seemed a little different, a little scared, maybe. Lots of kids are loud like mine; these kids were standoffish, something was going on. I can see it now looking back.” Lessard said. “I have a 13-year-old special needs child that I lost a few years ago. I can’t even imagine. I would never. I hope she rots in prison.”
Lujan and the victim’s mother were both taken into custody. However, the girl’s mother was booked and later released due to the ongoing investigation. Charges are pending.
Lujan was booked on child abuse felonies. More charges could be added as more evidence is uncovered, according to Tempe police.
“The tragic loss of a child is a profound reminder of our shared responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our community,” McCoy said. “Investigations like this demand meticulous attention to detail and sensitivity to the emotional toll it takes on everyone involved.”
Police said the other four children in the home, ranging in age from 2 to 15, are now in custody of the state. None of them had been attending school, according to investigators.
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