GRANTS, NM – After a mother called law enforcement to report what she suspected was child abuse, Grants Police Department arrested 29year-old Grants man Aaron Silva.
According to a police report of the incident, Silva was watching his eight-year-old son, and 10year-old stepdaughter who is the alleged victim of child abuse, on June 4. Police spoke with Silva, the victim’s mother, and the victim’s brother. They learned that the stepdaughter was grounded from using ecteronic devices and had a history of stealing her parent’s devices to access the internet.
The children were packing their things because mom was on the way to Silva’s Harrison Avenue house. As she drove up to the house, she could hear the sound of an altercation.
According to the police report, Silva realized his phone was missing as the children were preparing to leave the house. He asked the stepdaughter to check her backpack for his phone, she refused.
Silva told police that he grabbed for his stepdaughter’s bag, but she pulled away and would not let him get close. Silva said to police that he grabbed his stepdaughter’s wrist to take the bag when she began to struggle and fell against the wall. The stepdaughter told police that Silva had grabbed and twisted her wrist before grabbing her face and pushing her against a wall.
Silva opened the door for his stepdaughter’s mom who questioned what was happening in the house. According to the police report, Silva told police his response was that he was looking for his phone when the stepdaughter, “Became irate.” Her mom opened the backpack and found Silva’s phone inside, she then returned the phone to Silva.
With two different accounts of the incident, GPD called on Superior Ambulance to help make an assessment.
Officials observed redness on the right side of stepdaughter’s forehead. She pointed to her sides, saying that she was in some pain. A bruise began to form on the stepdaughter’s forehead and the back of her head was tender, according to the police report.
After speaking with Superior Ambulance, GPD determined, “It was evident [Silva’s] action caused injury to the child.”
While processing this case, officers realized that Silva has a warrant out of the Cibola County Magistrate Courts for failure to pay his registration from May 2022.
Silva was booked in the Cibola County Correctional Center on one charge of Child Abuse (Does Not Result in Great Bodily Harm).