Grandma of Tempe girl found locked in cage indicted by grand jury
Tempe grandmother indicted in teen girl's death
Virginia Lujan, 55, is accused of child abuse, tampering with evidence, tampering with a witness and contributing to the dependency of a child.
TEMPE, Ariz. - The grandmother of a teenage girl who died after being locked in a cage has been indicted by a grand jury, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said.
Virginia Lujan, 55, is accused of child abuse, tampering with evidence, tampering with a witness and contributing to the dependency of a child.
Lujan is currently jailed on a $500,000 bond.
The backstory:
According to police, Lujan called 911 after her 13-year-old granddaughter was found not breathing at her home near Mill Avenue and Carter Drive.
Officers responded to the scene and found the teen inside a makeshift cage, covered in bruises and sores. The girl died at the hospital the next day.
Lujan and the girl's mother were arrested. The mother has since been released, pending charges, police said.
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We are learning more about a deadly child abuse case in the East Valley that resulted in police arresting two of the victim's family members.
What they're saying:
"While investigating, officers discovered a bunk bed that had been adapted into a makeshift enclosure where the victim was kept for extended periods of time, along with grossly unsanitary conditions throughout the home," MCAO said. "The victim suffered from a rare form of epilepsy and had cognitive impairments, functioning at the level of a 3-year-old."