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Saturday, March 14, 2009 Child abuse, criminal sexual penetration charges filed against parentsA week after a Meadow Lake couple was arrested for allegedly abusing their 13-month-old daughter, a grand jury has indicted the pair on charges of child abuse and criminal sexual penetration. The grand jury indicted 29-year-old Jesse Trujillo and his girlfriend, 25-year-old Elecia Fraise, on one count of first-degree intentional child abuse and one count of first-degree criminal sexual penetration of a minor. Both Fraise and Trujillo have pleaded not guilty to the charges in magistrate court. An arraignment hearing in district court has not yet been scheduled. Both are being held in the Valencia County Adult Detention Center on a 200,000 cash-only bond. The couple was arrested last week by Valencia County Sheriff's detectives, a week after they took their daughter to Presbyterian Hospital. Doctors told deputies that the child was being treated for two broken arms, both of which had been swollen and bruised. According to a detective investigating the case, the doctors who treated the toddler said that the child's right upper arm and wrist had been fractured. The treating physician also informed deputies that there were multiple breaks in both arms in various stages of healing. Some of the breaks were up to three to four weeks old, while some were new, said Detective Sgt. John Gordon. The Children Youth and Families Department immediately took the child into protective custody. According to a criminal complaint, Fraise told police that she believed that her boyfriend (Trujillo) has been a little "harsh" with the girl and that he had twisted the child's arm because she wouldn't stop crying. When questioned by police, Trujillo said that he "accidentally" twisted his daughter's elbow when he was putting on the child's clothing. He said that incident took place about two weeks prior to taking the girl to the hospital. Dr. Gwen Lattimore, a physician who treated the girl, told police that the child had seven arm fractures, including two broken wrists. "Lattimore said those are new fractures and there is a lot of swelling in the areas," the complaint said. "Lattimore said when she spoke to the child's mother, she learned that the child had stopped using her arms about three weeks ago." The criminal complaint also says that Lattimore told detectives that during her examination of the defendant's daughter that the girl had an "abnormal vaginal area," which often occurs after trauma. "Lattimore said she is concerned that there may have been sexual abuse and that the child is being seen by specialists to make a determination," the complaint said. "Lattimore advised that the child has been seen by a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) nurse, and a sexual assault kit has been completed."
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