Las Cruces woman charged with child abuse after 8-year-old found with neck injuries
A Las Cruces woman faces a felony child abuse charge after police say an 8-year-old suffered neck injuries during a domestic incident.
Court documents allege child was punched, grabbed by the neck and dragged during April disturbance
Damien Willis, Organ Mountain News
LAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces woman faces a third-degree felony charge after police say she assaulted an 8-year-old child during a domestic disturbance, leaving visible injuries to the child’s neck.
According to a criminal complaint filed April 29 in Doña Ana County Magistrate Court, Sophia Fagon is charged with abuse of a child that does not result in death or great bodily harm. The charge stems from an April 26 incident at a residence on Hatfield Road, where officers responded to a report of a disturbance involving multiple family members.
A statement of probable cause alleges the incident began over a dispute involving a phone and escalated into a physical confrontation between Fagon and the child. Investigators wrote that Fagon punched the child “everywhere on the body,” then grabbed him by the shirt and neck and dragged him across the floor and a bed, causing him to strike a wall.
Officers who responded to the scene documented injuries to the child’s neck, including what appeared to be burn-like abrasions on both sides and scratch marks along the back. Court documents also describe concerns about the child’s safety in the home.
Damien Willis
The incident also involved a physical altercation between Fagon and her father, who told police he stepped in to stop the assault. After intervening, he told officers, Fagon kicked him multiple times. Court documents state she then left the home and hid in a barn on the property before officers located and arrested her.
An arrest warrant was issued April 29, and Fagon was taken into custody May 4. A pretrial risk assessment filed the same day indicates she has no prior violent convictions and recommends release on recognizance.
Court records show a judge found probable cause in the case. Additional hearings are expected as the case moves forward.
Damien Willis is founder and editor of Organ Mountain News. If you have a personal story to share or a lead we should follow up on, reach out at OrganMountainNews@gmail.com or connect with him on X at @damienwillis.
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