A doctor told an investigator that this is the worst case of abuse he has seen in over 20 years, according to a criminal complaint.
Two Minnesota teens are facing charges in what a doctor said is the worst case of abuse he has seen in over 20 years, according to a probable cause complaint filed in court by a St. Paul, Minnesota. police sergeant and St. Paul prosecutors.
Diego Calzada-Russette, 19, and Jamie Rae Wilson, 19, have both been charged with two felony charges for child torture, according to the criminal complaint.
The couple were responsible for watching over three children, one of them being Wilson's daughter, the other two were Wilson's niece and nephew, who were found to be tortured, the complaint alleges.
According to the complaint, on Sept. 21, an ambulance was dispatched to the couple's home because the youngest boy, 2-years-old, had allegedly fallen down a flight of stairs. Wilson accompanied the child to the hospital but would not allow medics to cut the child's clothes to examine him; her behavior was noted as being odd, the complaint claims.
At the hospital, the boy was diagnosed with a fractured skull, had several brain bleeds, believed to be from separate events, and upon further examination, they found bruises and cigarette burns all over the boy's body, the complaint states.
When questioned at the hospital, Wilson claimed the marks were there prior to his arrival then later claimed they happened when the boy was at the babysitter's house but could not identify who the babysitter was or when the boy was there, the court document alleges.
A second child under the couple's care was brought into a hospital on Sept. 22 by a woman that saw injuries on the 5-year-old, according to the complaint. The child admitted that they were being abused by Calzada-Russete, the documents claims.
The 5-year-old was diagnosed with several brain bleeds, a laceration on her spleen, burns, and bruising all over her body consistent with extreme abusive trauma, according to the court document.
Wilson later agreed to speak at the police station and claimed Calzada-Russette used his belt to beat the younger boy multiple times and thinks he used her cigarettes on the child since some had gone missing and he doesn’t smoke, the complaint alleges.
Wilson’s family had been trying to get custody of Wilson's 3-year-old daughter due to concerns over her safety for over a year, according to the complaint.
According to the court document, when Calzada-Russette was questioned he first claimed the same as Wilson — the babysitter did it. He then blamed Wilson and her alleged bipolar behavior that led her to have mood swings and hit the kids, the complaint alleges.
Calzada-Russette later admitted that he was the one hitting the children but denied the claims of burning the children, and pointed the finger at Wilson for the burn marks, the complaint claims. He confessed hitting them for doing child-like behaviors, making messes, and for spilling water but denied hitting them with a belt, according to the complaint.
Both Calzada-Russette and Wilson are booked at the Ramsey County Jail with their bond set at $1,000,000.
