Child abuse charge in Anthony follows public intervention after child found unsupervised
A child abuse charge filed in Anthony stems from public intervention after witnesses reported a young child walking unsupervised, according to court records.
Court records say witnesses contacted police after seeing a young child alone on a residential street.
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
ANTHONY - Alma Varela Vitela, 35, of Anthony, is facing a felony child abuse charge after witnesses reported seeing a young child walking unsupervised on a residential street, prompting a police response, according to court records.
According to a statement of probable cause filed in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, officers were dispatched Jan. 1 to the area of Fourth Street and Church Street after receiving reports of a small child walking alone in the roadway.
Witnesses told police they observed a 4-year-old child walking outside without adult supervision, wearing a jacket but no pants or shoes. The temperature at the time was about 51 degrees, according to court records. Witnesses stopped, covered the child with a blanket and contacted authorities.
Police later identified the child and made contact with Varela Vitela, the child’s mother, who is the defendant in the case. According to the probable cause statement, Varela Vitela told officers she had been at the hospital the previous night, returned home and overslept. She acknowledged that she was not supervising the child at the time and told police the child is able to open doors independently.
An officer noted in the report that the home was dirty and had a strong odor of urine, and that multiple children were present inside the residence when police arrived.
Varela Vitela was detained and transported to the Anthony Police Department, where she was advised of her rights in Spanish and agreed to speak with officers, according to court records.
A criminal complaint filed Jan. 2 charges Varela Vitela with abuse of a child that does not result in death or great bodily harm, a third-degree felony under New Mexico law. The complaint does not allege that the child was injured or required medical treatment.
A public safety assessment completed after her arrest rated Varela Vitela as low risk for failing to appear in court or committing a new violent offense and recommended release on her own recognizance. The case remains pending in magistrate court.
Two people hit by vehicles eight hours apart in Las Cruces leave one woman dead, man critically injured — Police are investigating two separate crashes involving pedestrians that occurred overnight.
Duke Rodriguez insists he meets residency requirement for governor’s race — The Republican candidate responds to questions about where he lives — Arizona or New Mexico — as the 2026 race takes shape.
NMSU seeks to move Moccia lawsuit into private arbitration — The university asks a judge to shift a contract dispute involving public funds out of district court.
