A New Mexico woman and her boyfriend have been arrested for leaving their 8-year-old adoptive daughter locked in a cage while they went out to see a movie, police said Tuesday.
Cindy Patriarchias and her boyfriend Edmond Gonzales left the girl in a homemade cage. Patriarchias' estranged husband called police when he learned that she had allegedly left the girl unattended in her mobile home. Cops say that when they arrived on the scene, they found the uninjured girl in a cage about 2 1/2 feet wide and 4 feet tall.
Patriarchias, 33, and Gonzales, 37, were charged with child abuse and the girl was placed under the care of New Mexico's child-protection agency.
The girl was taken out and given medical care. She "did not appear to have any physical injuries as a result of the containment, but detectives learned that she suffers from microcephaly," the report said.
Microcephaly is a condition in which the head of the sufferer is markedly smaller than average.
Officers "found the mobile home to be dark and it appeared to be unoccupied," said the statement. "Nearly an hour later Patriarchias returned home and allowed officers inside.
"While checking the home an officer discovered a large wooden cage in the corner of a bedroom. Inside the cage was Patriarchias' 8-year-old daughter," it added.
Patriarchias and Gonzales were being held $25,000 cash-only bonds.
