Couple Faces Charges After Fast Food Workers Report Child Abuse, Father Found Face Down Drooling

[Sugar Cookie]

Criminal charges were filed Tuesday in a case involving the alleged abuse of two young children, which was stopped after employees at a fast food restaurant called police.

Rodolfo Martinez-Avila, 36, who is homeless, is charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse. On Friday, the mother of the children, Azucena Rodriguez, 23, was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse and child endangerment, third-degree felonies.

On April 16, Taylorsville police were called to a Burger King by concerned employees who said a family "appeared to be homeless and in need of assistance," according to a police booking affidavit. "Specifically, an employee told dispatch the 4-year-old child appeared to be malnourished and requesting help from staff."

When officers arrived, they found Martinez-Avila "sitting at the table, face down, with drool running out of his mouth," the affidavit states. Martinez-Avila is Rodriguez's boyfriend.

They also found a 4-year-old boy who "had dried blood on his nose and cracked skin around his lips," according to charging documents. Medical crews were called to examine the boy and found "numerous bruises on his chest, back and arms," the charges state.

The couple's 6-month-old girl "had a very serious diaper rash that needed to be treated at the hospital as soon as possible," the charges state, as well as "a bruise on her back."

The children were taken to Primary Children's Hospital where it was discovered the boy "had severe bruising on his buttocks, flanks and chest, consistent with inflicted trauma," including "dark bruises on his arms and chest," the charges state.


The girl was found to have "broken ribs that were in the state of healing," the charges allege. Investigators also learned that Martinez-Avila has been seen by multiple people hitting the children in the past and squeezing the girl so hard "that she almost passed out twice."

On one occasion, "a passerby pulled up beside them and yelled at Martinez-Avila to stop. Martinez-Avila threatened her, so (the passerby) told Rodriguez to 'get away' from Martinez-Avila and drove away," according to the charges.

Doctors also discovered the girl would only breastfeed and refused all other types of food. Rodriguez admitted to smoking meth "regularly," an affidavit states, causing her daughter "to ingest it through her milk." Medical crews reported to police that the daughter "shows signs of methamphetamine withdrawal."

Couple faces felony charges after fast food workers report child abuse

A couple arrested in Taylorsville now face felony charges after employees at a Burger King called police because they were concerned about two young children.

www.ksl.com

Rodriguez told police she had been dating Martinez-Avila about two months and said he is not the father of either child and that the birth father is no longer in their lives. She said she had witnessed Martinez-Avila squeeze her daughter "so hard she felt she was going to black out" and also hit her son when he cries to "punish" him and "hits him hard enough to leave bruises," the affidavit say.

She allegedly told police she does not try to stop Martinez-Avila because he threatens her.

"The female also told officers the family was homeless. Restaurant employees told officers they have seen the family before and try to give them free food because they are concerned about the children's wellness," the affidavit states.

Police noted that Rodriguez "has other locations to live and stay but she declines to go there."

While being questioned by officers, Martinez-Avila eventually claimed he had grabbed the 4-year-old boy by both arms that day, as well as admitting to using meth the day before, according to police. Police say Martinez-Avila was deported several years ago and has since illegally returned to the United States.

Rodriguez also allegedly admitted to smoking meth "regularly," her affidavit states. Police were later informed by medical crews helping with the case that her daughter "shows signs of methamphetamine withdrawal."

Abused homeless siblings get help, thanks to fast food workers

Concerned employees at a Taylorsville fast-food restaurant called police Tuesday after a young boy in a homeless family, who was allegedly being abused, asked for help.

www.ksl.com

 

[notausername]

What a mess. Someone needs to get those kids away from them ASAP & no kids within 5ft of them ever again. They'll destroy anything innocent in their path...

 

[thuumpr]

Why was I smiling and imagining that when the found Rodolfo face down, with drool running out of his mouth, that the cops spent 30 minutes tag team tasing him.

How disappointing that he wasn't.

 

[GoneWest]

Doctors also discovered the girl would only breastfeed and refused all other types of food. Rodriguez admitted to smoking meth "regularly," an affidavit states, causing her daughter "to ingest it through her milk." Medical crews reported to police that the daughter "shows signs of methamphetamine withdrawal."
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Wonder how how the doctors could even determine that the girl would have even breastfeed at this time. I’m assuming they didn’t let the mother near her. Did they have a wet nurse. Who has an appetite when going through withdrawal?

Yay for Burger King employees for stepping up! They most likely saved those two babies from death and at the very least a painful and miserable existence.