UPDATE - 12/26/08 – 4:07 PM EST – The second child, Edwin Pellecier, 10, succumbed to his injuries this afternoon.  Gallegos will now face two first-degree murder charges.

UPDATE – 12/26/08 – 1:35 PM EST- PhoenixPhoenix reviews police Sgt. Tommy Thompson says 7-year-old Jesse Ramirez died early FridayFriday reviews of his injuries.  Rest in peace, young  one.   Additional charges against Joe Gallegos are now pending.

Phoenix, AZ – This is a story too terrible for Christmas.  But frankly, it’s too terrible for any day, and the family has no choice about dealing with it, so I think we should, too.

On Tuesday, December 23rd, with the excitement of Christmas in the air, two young cousins, Edwin Pellecier, aged 10, and Jesse Ramirez, aged 7, decided to walk to the park just a few doors from their home to play.   They were found a short time later, bludgeoned about the head so badly that the EMT’s could not determine who they were or what had caused their injuries.  A neighbor found them both, lying in the sand, beaten beyond recognition, and called for help.  While the boys were rushed to the hospital, police quickly closed in on a suspect.   Luckily for all, a neighbor’s surveillance camera actually captured images of another neighbor, Joe Sauceda Gallegos, 36, following the boys to the park holding a baseball bat.  A few minutes later, he is shown returning.

Tuesday night, police visited Gallegos’ home.  They smelled chlorine bleach, saw what appeared to be bloodstains on his shoes, and found the bat used in the attack in his home.  He was arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of a dangerous crime against children. He is being held on $1 million bond.

The boys are both in extremely critical condition, and doctors are not optimistic about their chances for survival.  The moms of the two boys hope the doctors are wrong, and ask for prayers.

Family members say there was no known prior contact between the boys and Gallegos.  So what made this monster snap and beat two innocent boys nearly to death on the neighborhood playground?    Neighbors at the scene told reporters that Gallegos had been recently released from a psychiatric facility, though none seemed to know what he was there for, or why he was released.   A man identifying himself as Gallegos’ uncle (and with whom Gallegos was living) reports that he believes Gallegos is a diagnosed Schizophrenic.

Interestingly, Gallegos has two sons of his own, also aged 7 and 10.  They live in Colorado with their mother.   Could this have anything to do with them?  Possibly.  Because it turns out that this summer Gallegos called police to report that he had killed his two sons in the attic of his home.  Police rushed to the scene only to find that no such crime had occurred.   I’m thinking this doesn’t sound so healthy.   Apparently, the court agreed with RubyRuby reviews, as Gallegos subsequently underwent a court-ordered mental evaluation in July, and records show he was released from an inpatient treatment facility on AugustAugust reviews 20th.

So, is Joe Gallegos a delusional Schizophrenic?  Did he, perhaps, think the boys were someone other than who they were?  Did he think they had somehow wronged him??    Was anyone aware of the violence of which he was capable?  I suppose his psychiatric records probably hold some clues.

All I know right now is that Joe Gallegos did something noteworthy enough to warrant a court-ordered mental evaluation and time in an inpatient facility.  Soon thereafter, he cruelly and senselessly bludgeoned two little boys without provocation.  Now their families are facing a very difficult Christmas, and perhaps an even more painful future.

Whatever the psych evaluation showed, I hope Joe Gallegos is never again free and unattended long enough to harm anyone.  And I wish Edwin and Jesse full and speedy recoveries and a belated Christmas filled with joy.

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