Thedailymiaminews (TEMPE), Arizona — According to the authorities, a 13-year-old girl died after being discovered unresponsive while her grandma was taking care of her.
On Tuesday evening, after 9 p.m., Virginia Lujan contacted 911 and reported that her 13-year-old granddaughter, who was under her care, was not breathing. As a result, the police from Tempe were dispatched to Lujan’s residence.
The girl was taken to the hospital quickly after attempts were made to save her life. She passed away after the hospital team had spent hours trying to save her life.
According to the police, when authorities entered the home, they noticed that she was covered with bruises and wounds, all of which were at different states of healing. The Criminal Investigations Bureau was informed due to the seriousness of her illness.
Later, Lujan informed detectives that the child went down the stairs on Sunday night. She also told the police that she did not take the child to the doctor because she “believed the girl would be fine,” according to the police.
Later on, the police discovered that the 13-year-old had a cognitive deficit and was functioning at the level of a 3-year-old.
According to the authorities, Jami Hodges, the girl’s mother, claimed that she did not know about the girl’s fall. According to the police, officers discovered what looked like a handmade “cage” filled with feces and emitting a “foul odor” when they investigated the house.
According to the authorities, Lujan and Hodges confessed that they kept the girl in the cage in order to “control her.”
Lujan and Hodges have been detained and are being charged with criminal child abuse.
According to the police, Hodges was arrested and then released as they waited for charges to be filed. The inquiry is still in progress, and additional charges may be brought as more evidence is uncovered.