An Arizona grandma stored her mentally impaired granddaughter locked in a poop-filled cage till the woman, lined in wounds, died — and now officers have dominated the dying a murder, cops stated.
The 13-year-old’s grandmother, Virginia Lujan, was indicted for baby abuse in January for allegedly locking the woman in a “makeshift cage” and savagely beating her to maintain her in line, leaving her with sores and bruises throughout her physique, in response to officers in Tempe.
The woman, Melony Granados, had the psychological capability of a 3-year-old, and investigators dominated her dying a murder final month after inspecting her physique and horrifying residing circumstances, ABC 15 reported.
The grandmother — who died in jail final month — had locked the woman in a “makeshift cage … which was stuffed with feces and had a foul odor,” cops stated.
“The easiest way to explain it, it was a bunk mattress, however the decrease mattress of that bunk was not there. And the bunk mattress across the backside was surrounded by child cages and makeshift bars,” a police spokesperson advised CBS 5.
Cops stated the remainder of Lujan’s home was filthy with “deplorable” residing circumstances.
Police discovered Melony unresponsive on the evening of January 22; she died within the hospital the following day.
Lujan, 55, advised cops Melony had fallen down the steps, in response to CBS 5.
She claimed she didn’t name for assist at first as a result of she thought the accidents have been no huge deal and solely alerted authorities after the woman fell unconscious.
However her a number of wounds have been in numerous levels of therapeutic, officers stated, suggesting they’d been inflicted over a protracted time period.
The woman’s mom, Jami Hodges, 33, didn’t dwell along with her daughter however allegedly knew in regards to the horrifying abuse.
“Each Lujan and Hodges admitted that the woman was stored on this ‘cage’ to maintain management of her,” officers stated in a press release.
The mother, who additionally faces baby abuse expenses, allegedly advised cops she hadn’t heard something a few fall down the steps.
Lujan and Hodges had been indicted for 2 counts of kid abuse, plus counts of tampering with bodily proof and tampering with a witness.
However Lujan died in jail earlier than she could possibly be formally charged; authorities haven’t disclosed the small print of her dying however declare it was from pure causes, in response to ABC 15.
Hodges has been launched pending expenses.
She has 4 different children, all of whom are within the care of the Arizona Division of Little one Security, and Hodges has been launched pending expenses, the outlet added.
