CRIME

Sheriff's Office seeking man accused of abusing child who has cerebral palsy

The arrest warrant was still active on the morning of Sept. 13

Joshua Kellogg
Farmington Daily Times
  • Felipe Rubio, 22, was charged in Aug. 23 and accused of a third-degree felony count of child abuse, according to the criminal complaint.
  • The deputy interviewed a witness and the child injured, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
  • Rubio is accused of pushing the child into a couch and throwing a hard-plastic headset at his right arm, the affidavit states.

FARMINGTON — A San Juan County man is wanted by law enforcement after being accused last month of abusing a child who has cerebral palsy.

Felipe Rubio, 32, was charged on Aug. 23 and accused of a third-degree felony count of child abuse, according to the criminal complaint.

The arrest warrant was still active on the morning of Sept. 13, according to court records.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched around 7:37 p.m. on Aug. 20 to a residence on County Road 2892, north of Aztec, on reports of a domestic fight.

The deputy interviewed a witness and the child injured, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

The female witness told law enforcement Rubio abused the child who was under the age of 13 years old and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, according to a court document.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described cerebral palsy as a group of disorders which can affect a person’s ability to maintain balance, posture and their ability to move.

The child uses an electric wheelchair when he leaves the residence for extended periods of time as walking can be difficult for him, according to the affidavit.

She told police that Rubio had been high on methamphetamine and had not slept in four days.

Rubio was talking to the woman when he got upset and allegedly grabbed the woman’s arm and yelled at her, according to court documents.

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Rubio is then accused of pushing the child into a couch and throwing a hard-plastic headset at his right arm, the affidavit states. The child told law enforcement his arm still hurt 30 minutes after the headset was thrown at him.

The woman said Rubio had been making multiple threats to break the child’s neck or kill him, according to court documents.

Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.

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