New Mexico
New Mexico mother accused of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly starve to death
In the years prior to the boy’s death, state investigators with the Children, Youth, and Families Department had responded to at least four reports of neglect involving the child.
A New Mexico mother has been arrested after authorities say she is suspected of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly die by starvation.
Marecella Vasquez Montelongo, 23, was arrested in late February months after her son, who had Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, was found in July unconscious and not breathing at her Albuquerque home. The boy was pronounced dead and an autopsy later determined that he died of starvation and dehydration due to neglect, according to a criminal complaint provided to USA TODAY.
In the years prior to the boy’s death, state investigators with the Children, Youth, and Families Department had responded to at least four reports of neglect involving the child, according to the complaint.
Montelongo had her first court appearance Wednesday in a Bernalillo County court room on a charge of child abuse resulting in death. A judge ruled that Montelongo must remain in custody until the start of her trial and complete an addiction treatment program, according to KOAT-TV, which was the first to report on the case.
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Child appeared to be ‘skin and bones’ at his death
Albuquerque police were dispatched to Montelongo’s home on July 16 after receiving a report of the unresponsive child. While paramedics attempted life-saving measures, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the complaint, dated Feb. 26.
Montelongo told police at the scene that she had fed her son but that he had vomited. Shortly after, she noticed he was not breathing and called 911, the complaint states.
At the time of his death, the boy appeared as “skin and bones,” with his hip bones clearly defined and open ulcers on his tailbone, according to the complaint. When medical examiners conducted a preliminary autopsy, they discovered that the boy had dropped to a weight of about 13.6 pounds.
The final autopsy, which was completed in October, concluded that Montelongo’s son had died from starvation and dehydration, and ruled that the manner of death was a homicide.
‘Red flags’ surfaced before boy’s July death
The boy was nonverbal, blind, used a wheelchair and required round-the-clock care, according to investigators. Montelongo was required to give her son medication three times a day through a gastrostomy tube, otherwise known as a G-tube.
However, Montelongo routinely missed her son’s doctor’s appointments, including five since December 2022. While she noticed her son was losing weight, she told investigators that she did not think it was a concern, the complaint states.
Since the boy’s birth, the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department received four reports of medical neglect, including one report that was substantiated, according to the complaint.
Though the child was enrolled at he New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, records provided to investigators showed that he only reported for on day of school in September 2022 and never showed up again.
“This defendant made efforts to hide the abuse and this child’s demise from medical advisors and the school,” Bernalillo County Judge David Murphy said at Montelongo’s hearing, according to video aired by KOAT-TV.
Some advocates went so far as to question how Montelongo was able to retain custody of her son following the series of red flags.
“We had medical providers, educational providers, service providers and family members raising flags,” Maralyn Beck, founder and executive director of the nonprofit New Mexico Child Network told KOAT-TV. “Yet here we are.”
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico is turning to artificial intelligence to help firefighters get to wildfires quicker. Firefighters have relied on sightings of wildfire, 911 calls, and even people in lookout towers who see smoke or flames. Now, they are turning to new technology. “Our firefighters no longer waste critical time trying to locate the fire based on a vague description or chasing smoke, and incident commanders receive real-time visual intelligence during active fires, which helps them make better tactical decisions and resource deployment, and public safety decisions,” said Laura McCarthy, New Mexico State Forester.
The AI-enabled wildfire detection technology provides continuous monitoring of the highest-risk areas. The state is deploying 11 stations in Albuquerque, the East Mountains, and the Santa Fe area, with more stations around the state planned.
Director of Government Development for Pano AI and former wildland firefighter Kat Williams, explained how the tech works. “So the way that Pano works is we deploy high-definition cameras that have AI running on those images. And when the AI detects a wildfire, then it goes to a fully-staffed intelligence center, where a pano analyst will confirm that it is a wildfire. And then that visual intelligence is sent to all fire agencies within a jurisdiction so that,” said Williams.
She said that the visual intelligence from the pano cameras can allow firefighters to send the right resources the first time so that they can extinguish those fires right away. Five stations are already operational and monitoring 24 hours a day, seven days a week with six additional stations expected to come online by early 2026.
Each station costs about $50,000 a year to operate. The quicker information about a fire starting could also lead to quicker evacuation orders for people affected by the blazes.
The line is growing at M&T Mini Mart in Albuquerque, and so is the jackpot
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The line is growing at M&T Mini Mart in Albuquerque, and so is the jackpot. With Tuesday night’s Mega Millions drawing reaching over $900 million, hope is high, and ticket sales are booming.
“They’re meticulous with the way they do their lottery, right?” said Ashlee Weiss, co-owner of the M&T Mini Mart. “So, everyone has their own way to do things, and a lot of people are specific to a store. They feel like they win better at that store, they get better luck at that store, and luckily we’ve become that store for quite a few people.”
M&T Mini Mart Owner, Teresa Thompson, says he’s been selling hundreds of tickets a day, and it hasn’t slowed down.
“[It’s been] much busier,” said Thompson. “People buy tickets. If they win, then they use their winnings to buy more tickets, and it’s just like a big cycle.”
Players like Hazel and her dad say, even with the odds stacked against them, it’s about the dream. She says she’s her dad’s good luck charm.
“My dad wanted me to pick some lottos because the last time I did, he won $30,” she said.
Tickets are on sale until the drawing at 9 p.m. Tuesday night, then it’s all up to luck. If you haven’t bought one yet, you’re not alone. Lines like this one are expected right up to the drawing.
Whether it’s a dream, a dollar, or a long shot — this gas station says they’ll be ready to print hope until the very last minute.
“It spurs a lot of imagination when it gets this big,” said Wendy Ahlm, New Mexico Lottery director of Advertisement and Marketing. “People start thinking about what they could do, what they would do differently, what they might, you know, gift their friends or their family, or what kind of lifestyle they would have.”
New Orleans Privateers (0-2) at New Mexico Lobos (2-1)
Albuquerque, New Mexico; Wednesday, 1 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: New Mexico takes on New Orleans after Destinee Hooks scored 20 points in New Mexico’s 71-64 victory over the North Carolina A&T Aggies.
New Mexico went 12-8 at home a season ago while going 18-14 overall. The Lobos averaged 70.4 points per game last season, 33.9 in the paint, 14.1 off of turnovers and 10.3 on fast breaks.
New Orleans went 5-24 overall with a 3-15 record on the road a season ago. The Privateers shot 35.1% from the field and 26.8% from 3-point range last season.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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