A Peoria couple has been charged with child abuse after police alleged that two girls in their care were denied food and water, physically punished and subjected to prolonged periods of confinement in an Arizona flat.
Jose Ayala, 49, and Jennifer Carrillo, 50, each face two counts of child abuse following a welfare check involving the nine- and 12-year-old children in June 2025. Carrillo also faces an additional charge of unlawful imprisonment.
The investigation began after a neighbour found the younger girl hiding on a patio below the couple’s flat near 83rd Avenue and Greenway Road. Court documents allege that the girl had climbed over a second-storey balcony after being left outside for about four hours in temperatures reaching 104F (40C).
Police said the child told investigators she had been sent outside as punishment for holding a book incorrectly. She was reportedly hungry and thirsty when she escaped, and prosecutors said she had been left without food or water.
The girl was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where doctors described her as thin, weak and malnourished. She weighed about 43lb (19.5kg), was below the fifth percentile for her age and had bruises and abrasions across her body, according to police.
Investigators also reported patterned injuries which they said were consistent with being struck by an object, as well as marks around her ankle that appeared consistent with being tied up. The child allegedly told officers that a shoelace had been fastened around her ankle and attached to a door, preventing her from reaching the kitchen for water.
Children allegedly forced to sit on plastic lids
Both girls told investigators they had been made to sit for hours on plastic lids, court records state. Doctors said the resulting bruising and pressure injuries would not normally be expected in active children who were free to move around.
Prosecutors told the court that the children were allegedly made to use rubbish bags when they needed the toilet. Police also said Ayala admitted hitting both girls with a belt.
The older child later underwent a forensic medical examination, which investigators said identified similar injuries. Police further alleged that the girls slept on the living-room floor while another adult living in the flat had a separate bedroom and bathroom.
Investigators said Carrillo gave inconsistent accounts about the children’s custody and claimed the younger girl had mental-health and behavioural problems. School records did not support the alleged behavioural issues, police said.
“There were concerns of torture,” Stephen Garcia of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office told the court at the couple’s initial appearance.
The children were placed in foster care and later showed improved nutrition and significant growth, according to court records.
Ayala and Carrillo were arrested on Thursday and booked into jail. Their bonds were each set at $50,000, and they have been barred from contacting the children. Both are due back in court next week.
