Utah police praised workers at a Burger King fast food restaurant for rescuing children from neglect and abuse from their mother and her illegal alien boyfriend, who are homeless.
The employees at the burger shop in Taylorsville called police on Tuesday to report that a family “appeared to be homeless and in need of assistance,” according to an arrest affidavit.
They told police that they would sometimes give the family food for free, but this time their 4-year-old child appeared malnourished and asked for help.
Police said when they arrived, they found 36-year-old Rodolfo Martinez-Avila “sitting at the table, face down, with drool running out of his mouth.”
Martinez-Avila is the boyfriend of 23-year-old Azucena Rodriguez, the mother of the two children aged 4 and approximately 6 months old.
The affidavit said the man “seemed confused by simple commands and statements, made continuous rapid movements and fidgets, and generally seemed unable to clearly articulate himself.”
Police said the boy had dried blood in his nostrils and when he was asked by paramedics if he had any injuries, he showed them bruises on his chest. When he was asked who had caused his injuries, the boy blamed Martinez-Avila.
“The 4-year-old and 6-month-old were taken into the back of an ambulance,” police said. “Officers documented numerous injuries on the 4-year-old, including bruising on both arms, his torso, and his back, a scratch on his stomach, and the aforementioned bloody nose. The 6-month-old appeared to be malnourished and had possible injuries.”
More extensive injuries were documented after the children were treated at a Primary Children’s Hospital, according to the affidavit.
The mother allegedly told police that she had witnessed Martinez-Avila abusing her children, but she did not try to stop him because he would threaten her. She also told police she was homeless, though they noted that she “has other locations to live and stay but she declines to go there.”
Police said Martinez-Avila admitted to grabbing the boy by the arms that day and also said he had taken methamphetamine the day before.
The mother allegedly admitted to taking meth “regularly,” according to an affidavit. Police also said that Martinez-Avila had been deported from the U.S. years ago and returned illegally.
The mother was arrested on suspicion of child abuse, and her boyfriend was arrested for investigation of aggravated child abuse, intoxication, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The children were taken into custody by Child Protective Services.
Taylorsville is a suburb of St. Lake City with about 60,000 residents.
Here’s a news report about the incident:
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!