A Washington mother is facing charges after police found her missing child last week, beaten and bruised in what investigators are calling an “absolutely horrific” child abuse case.
Tri-City Herald reports that police arrested Adriana Rivas in Frankin County on August 22 and charged her with second-degree assault of a child after she allegedly went shopping while leaving her 6-year-old daughter in their apartment alone.
Hours later, Rivas returned home to find the child missing, and subsequently contacted police. Officers found the victim at her grandmother’s house, and took her and her sister into protective custody.
Rivas told police that she went to a Fred Meyer store with her other daughter, 8, to buy food and toilet paper, leaving the 6-year-old at home because she “pooped her pants.”
When investigators questioned Rivas about signs of abuse found on the victim, Rivas allegedly said she had beaten the child with an HDMI cable after becoming so angry at the victim until she “saw red.”
“Adriana said that she hit the child so many times, she couldn’t give me a number,” Detective Julie Lee wrote in an arrest affidavit.
Rivas also told investigators that she left the child on a potty seat while she went shopping, but a witness told police he had seen bruising on the victim’s face a day before the shopping trip, then found her in a bathtub at the apartment on August 22, with more bruising, and subsequently took her to her grandmother’s home.
The victim was taken to an area hospital, where medical staff determined that she had red markings from the cord, as well as old and new bruising.
“The facts alleged in this case are absolutely horrific,” Deputy Prosecutor Dave Corkrum said while arguing to keep Rivas’ bail set at $75,000.
Corkrum reportedly added that the defendant had already accumulated 22 probation violations, stemming from a previous incident. She also allegedly failed to show up for court at least 24 times.
Rivas’ attorney said she was a college student and employed, and would lose her apartment and pets if she remained in jail.
“She is in danger of losing her home and pets,” defense lawyer Tim Dickerson said. “She has no money and no way of posting bail.”
The presiding judge kept Rivas’ bond at $75,000 and said while reviewing case information, he expected police would find the child dead instead of injured.
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[Feature Photo via Benton-Franklin Counties Superior Court]
