Following a month and a half long investigation by detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Galloway Township Police Department, a township couple was arrested Friday and charged in connection to the aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of their toddler daughter.
Friday morning detectives from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the Galloway Township Police Department arrested Yolanda Torres, 33 and Jose Velez, 52.
Torres was charged with second degree Aggravated Assault and two counts of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Velez was charged with two counts of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Upon his arrest, Velez was found to be in possession of Xanax pills and was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance and possession with the Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance.
The State alleges Torres committed an aggravated assault on her two-year-old daughter on July 10th. However, no medical attention was sought for the child until she had a series of seizures. Later that night, the child was flown to Cooper University Hospital with life threatening injuries.
Subsequent medical evaluation showed the child’s injuries included multiple bone fractures, a brain bleed and deep burns to her hand and foot. Torres attributed the injuries to a series of “accidents.”
Further investigation showed that while in the couple’s custody the child lost weight, hair and otherwise displayed a failure to thrive.
The conclusion of the medical doctor was that the “combined physical traumas and psychological traumas raise the girl’s diagnosis to “the level of torture.”
The child has been out of Torres and Velez’ custody since the time of the incident.
These charges are merely an accusation and not proof of guilt. In all criminal cases, a charged defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.