The 23-year-old mother of a 2-year-old girl police say is the victim of “heinous abuse and starvation” told officers her live-in boyfriend would violently strike the child or withhold food from her as punishment for not showing respect, court documents state.
The woman allegedly said her boyfriend, 31-year-old Clayton Saragosa of Mountain View, claimed his actions were “discipline” because the girl would not say “please” or “may I have.”
The mother also claimed, the documents state, that Saragosa would “get mad” if she fed the girl, and she would sneak food to the toddler whenever Saragosa left the home. The woman told police that when fed, the child “scarfs it down” as she was clearly starving.
In addition, the woman said she was told by Saragosa that open wounds on both of the girl’s legs and feet were because the toddler had sat on or stepped on a hot car battery.
A triage nurse at Hilo Medical Center notified police shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday that the mother brought the girl into the hospital’s emergency room. An examination showed the girl had burn marks and open cuts over much of her body, physical signs of dehydration and malnutrition, bruising at various stages of healing, and a fractured rib and femur bone, also in the healing stages.
Due to the extent of the physical injuries and the child’s malnutrition, she was flown to Kapiolani Medical Center in Honolulu, where she remained hospitalized in stable condition at last report.
Saragosa, who was arrested Sunday afternoon at his Mountain View home, is due in court today for a preliminary hearing, but a felony information charge filed Wednesday by prosecutors will move the case from Hilo District Court to Hilo Circuit Court, where Judge Peter Kubota will hear the case.
Saragosa is charged with first- and second-degree assault, two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, and three counts of domestic abuse.
First-degree assault is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, while second-degree assault is a Class C felony punishable by up to five years behind bars. Saragosa has no prior felony convictions, according to documents.
When Saragosa was arrested, two of his biological sons, ages 12 and 13, who reside in the home, were placed into protective custody for their safety and later released to Child Welfare Services.
Two of Saragosa’s other sons from a previous relationship, ages 4 and 8, who were there for a weekend visitation, also were placed into protective custody and released to their mother.
CWS has opened an investigation into the health and safety of all children within the residence.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, Saragosa remained in custody in lieu of $85,000 bail at Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
