(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Workers at a Burger King in a Salt Lake City, Utah, suburb saved two young children from their meth-addict mother and her abusive, illegal-immigrant boyfriend, the Blaze reported.
The employees of the Taylorsville restaurant called police after a 4-year-old child, who was reportedly malnourished, begged them for help.
The family, which had made previous visits begging for free food, “appeared to be homeless and in need of assistance,” according to an arrest affidavit.
Upon their arrival on the scene, police found the boyfriend, 36-year-old Rodolfo Martinez–Avila, “sitting at the table, face down, with drool running out of his mouth.”
Nearby they found the 23-year-old Azucena Rodriguez, the mother of the 4-year-old and a 6-month-old baby.
According to the police report, Martinez–Avila “seemed confused by simple commands and statements” while making “continuous rapid movements and fidgets, and generally seemed unable to clearly articulate himself.”
Both adults admitted to having taken meth the day before. Rodriguez, according to the report, said she “regularly” uses the drug.
Police found signs of probable domestic abuse. The baby appeared to be malnourished, and the 4-year-old had sustained bruising to the chest and arms, as well as signs of a bloody nose.
The 4-year-old blamed Martinez–Avila for the violence.
His testimony was confirmed by his mother, who told police that she had seen Martinez–Avila abusing the boy, but could do nothing because he threatened her with violence.
“The four-year-old and six-month-old were taken into the back of an ambulance,” police said. “Officers documented numerous injuries on the four-year-old, including bruising on both arms, his torso, and his back, a scratch on his stomach, and the aforementioned bloody nose. The six-month-old appeared to be malnourished and had possible injuries.”
Rodriguez also admitted to being homeless, despite the fact that she “has other locations to live and stay but she declines to go there.”
Both mother and boyfriend were arrested, the mother on suspicion of child abuse, and her boyfriend for investigation of aggravated child abuse, intoxication, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The children were taken in by Child Protective Services.
Police said Martinez–Avila had been previously been deported from the U.S. but had returned illegally.
