8-Year-Old Girl Drugged, Kept in Cage
By: KTSM
Updated: January 30, 2013
An 8-year-old girl was given medicine to knock her out before a Las Cruces couple left the girl inside a wooden cage in Friday evening, according to a criminal complaint.
Cindy Patriarchias, 33, was arrested and charged with one count of negligently causing child abuse, while her boyfriend Edmond Gonzales, 37, was charged with one count of negligently permitting child abuse.
According to the documents the girl was given medicine before Patriarchias and Gonzales took their three other children to watch a movie at Columbia Elementary School.
In the complaint, one of the children told police the girl was usually put in the cage when she misbehaved.
Police said Cindy Patriarchias' estranged John Patriarchias was the one who called them after he did not see the 8-year-old at the school.
The documents state John Patriarchias told police he built the cage to protect the girl who suffers from microcephaly.
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