Mayra Juarez (left), Raul Alvarado (Credit: Colorado Springs Police Department)
Police in Colorado Springs are under heavy scrutiny after completely ignoring the repeated warnings of an estranged parent about his two year old child, a child that is now dead. A December filing at the El Paso County District Court lists Luis Daniel “Danny” Juarez Molina, the child, as deceased. The lawsuit claims that the cause of death of the child was blunt trauma – repeated strikes from brass knuckles and finally being thrown into a wall. In his final hours, Danny was hospitalized for swelling in the brain and lacerations of the liver. He finally died after doctors at Children’s Hospital Colorado took out part of his skull to counter brain swelling. The operation caused Danny to fall into a three day coma from which he never recovered.
The Alleged Perpetrators
The lawsuit alleges that two year old Danny suffered these tragic injuries at the hands of his own mother, Mayra Juarez-Martinez. She is currently serving three years for child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury to Danny. At the time of death, Danny was apparently covered in injuries including bite marks, multiple bruises on his stomach and back and a missing tooth, among other injuries.
Mayra Juarez-Martinez’ 21 year old boyfriend Raul Alvarado Jr. faces charges of 1. first degree murder, 2. violent crime causing death and 3. child abuse recklessly causing death for actually killing the child.
The Incompetence of the Colorado Springs Police
Aside from Alvarado, the lawsuit also names Colorado Springs police officer Justin Carricato as a defendant. The lawsuit states that Carricato, along with other unnamed individuals of the police organization, violated the Child Protection Act by refusing to report Danny’s injuries to a county child protection agency.
The lawsuit notes that the city of Colorado Springs has a history of ignoring serious cases of child abuse, naming the police as a constant bottleneck. A previous case concerning four year old Tamyrii Randall upholds this narrative.
There has been no comment from the Colorado Springs police department about this case.
