This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Las Cruces, N.M. • A New Mexico woman has pleaded guilty to locking her 8-year-old niece with developmental disabilities in a wooden cage and leaving her alone while she left to watch a movie.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Cindy Patriarchias pleaded guilty Monday to two counts of felony child abuse. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop four related charges.
Police say Patriarchias and her boyfriend, Edmond Gonzales, took her three children to an elementary school in January to watch the movie. Patriarchias' estranged husband called police when he arrived at the school and learned that the 8-year-old girl was unattended at the mobile home. A teary-eyed Patriachias told 3rd Judicial District Judge Fernando Macias in Las Cruces that the incident was "the biggest and worst mistake of my life."