Arizona grandmother indicted in death of epileptic teen kept in makeshift cage

The grandma of a teenage miss with epilepsy who died aft constabulary said she had been locked successful a makeshift cage for extended periods of clip has been indicted by a expansive assemblage in Arizona, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced.

Virginia Lujan, 55, has been charged with kid maltreatment and different crimes pursuing the decease past period of her granddaughter, who suffered from a uncommon signifier of epilepsy and had cognitive impairments causing her to relation astatine the level of a 3-year-old.

Lujan called 911 connected Jan. 20 to study that her granddaughter was unresponsive astatine her two-story townhouse successful Tempe adjacent U.S. 60 and Mill Avenue, prosecutors said. 

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When officers arrived, they recovered the miss lying connected the surviving country level with marks and bruising connected aggregate parts of her body. She was transported to a hospital, wherever she died the pursuing day.

Virginia Lujan, 55, has been charged with kid maltreatment and different crimes aft her granddaughter died aft being unresponsive successful her home.

"No kid should ever person to endure suffering," Ken McCoy, the city's constabulary chief, said the time aft her death, per Fox 10.

"We are committed to uncovering the information and seeking justness connected her behalf. The tragic nonaccomplishment of a kid is simply a profound reminder of our shared work to support the astir susceptible successful our community."

Police said that they discovered a bunk furniture that had been adapted into a makeshift enclosure wherever the unfortunate was kept for extended periods of time, on with grossly unsanitary conditions passim the home. 

Police, according to Fox 10 Phoenix, described Lujan's location arsenic "disorderly and filthy," with trash littering the home's floors and dormant insects specified arsenic cockroaches being seen successful assorted parts of the home.

The grandma of a teenage miss with epilepsy who died aft constabulary said she had been locked successful a makeshift cage for extended periods of clip has been indicted by a expansive assemblage successful Arizona. Police talk astatine a property briefing the time aft her death. (Fox 10 Phoenix)

When investigating wherever the miss had been kept, constabulary discovered an elevated furniture frame, akin to bunk beds inside, with the objection that determination was nary furniture oregon mattress connected the bottom, according to tribunal documents cited by Fox 10.

Instead, the gangly furniture framework created a abstraction underneath the apical bunk.

A ample rail, ample capable to enclose the agelong close broadside of the furniture and different obstruction with integrative babe gates attached to it were recovered by this bed. These items, together, were attached to the framework arsenic walls for an enclosure oregon cage, the outlet reported.

These components were held unneurotic with integrative zip ties. Police besides said determination was quality discarded connected the level wrong the enclosure.

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The victim, according to investigators, was 1 of 5 children belonging to 33-year-old Jami Hodges, Lujan’s daughter. They ranged successful property from 2 to 15 years. 

In 2021, Hodges transferred 4 of her 5 children's guardianship to Lujan, and astatine the clip of the victim’s death, she had moved successful with her parent due to the fact that of structural issues that forced her retired of her erstwhile home, per Fox 10.

They lived successful a cramped abstraction wrong her three-bedroom townhouse, constabulary said.  

The household lived successful a "disorderly and filthy" three-bedroom townhouse, constabulary said. (Fox 10 Phoenix)

Hodges and her 2-year-old girl slept successful the surviving country connected the main level portion Lujan had her ain chamber connected the 2nd floor. The remainder of the children shared the remaining 2 bedrooms, investigators wrote successful the tribunal documents.

They besides wrote that nary of Hodges' children were enrolled successful oregon attending school.

Hodges, according to constabulary reports cited by Fox 10, said that erstwhile she returned location from the dentist earlier connected Jan. 21, she noticed that the unfortunate was "acting off" and that she saw a ample rash oregon discoloration nether the victim's armpits and connected the backmost of her legs. 

The miss aboriginal took a turn, and Tempe Police Department officers and crews with Tempe Fire Medical Rescue were called to the location astatine astir 9 p.m.

Lujan told archetypal responders that the unfortunate had fallen a fewer days prior, investigators wrote. 

The unfortunate was recovered covered successful bruises connected assorted parts of her body. The bruises were described arsenic being successful assorted stages of healing, portion dried humor was recovered wrong her close receptor and her look appeared swollen.

Tempe Police Department vehicles. Police from the section responded to the scene. (Caitlin O'Hara/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The unfortunate was taken to the infirmary and was declared dormant hours later.

Hodges was arrested but was released pending charges.

Lujan is presently being held connected a $500,000 secured appearance bond, per the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

She is besides charged with tampering with carnal evidence, tampering with a witnesser and 3 counts of contributing to the dependency of a child.