Angela Gomez Luera arrested in Doña Ana County child abuse case
Angela Gomez Luera was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center Tuesday on a child abuse warrant. The arrest follows allegations that she choked her daughter and bribed her to stay silent.
The 26-year-old was taken into custody on Oct. 20, according to jail records. She is expected to face a magistrate judge on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
A deputy with the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Memorial Medical Center on Sunday, Oct. 11. The deputy responded to a report of child abuse, according to court records.
The deputy met with a man at the hospital. The man said his 6-year-old daughter was placed in a chokehold by her mother, identified as Gomez Luera. The father told the deputy he shares custody and cares for the girl regularly.
The deputy saw redness around the child’s neck and eyes. He also saw visible injuries to her face. The incident occurred at a residence in Doña Ana County, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint stated the girl was held for several seconds. She was in the care of Gomez Luera at the time. The girl told investigators she cried before the incident occurred.
Investigators continued the inquiry at the child’s school on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The girl had gone to the school nurse because she was hurting. She requested an ice pack.
A deputy noted redness in her eyes and bruising around her eyelids. Officials conducted a Safehouse interview with the child at the school. The girl said Gomez Luera put her in a chokehold.
The girl said she could not breathe. She said Gomez Luera released her once she screamed. She told investigators her mother thought she died.
“[The child] stated her mother thought she had died,” read the criminal complaint. “[The child] stated her mother ‘made her die’ while choking her.”
Court documents state Gomez Luera bribed the girl with a squishy toy to keep the incident secret. The child’s father picked her up around 7 p.m. on Oct. 11. She told him about the chokehold.
He took her to the hospital. He brought her back on Oct. 13 for a follow-up evaluation.
Deputies in Doña Ana County investigate reported child abuse before filing formal criminal charges. Safehouse interviews provide recorded statements for investigators and medical personnel.
The case remains under review in the local court system.
