Police arrest man accused of assaulting toddler
Police say a Las Cruces man assaulted a two-and-a-half year old girl and the incident was recorded by a home health caregiver.
Efrem Duran, 38, of the 2400 block of W. Picacho Ave., is charged with two third-degree felony counts of child abuse. ABC-7 is not revealing Duran’s exact relationship to the child in order to protect the child’s identity.
Thursday evening, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the report of child abuse at a home on the 1700 block of west Hadley Avenue.
A home health caregiver allegedly witnessed Duran pull the girl by her feet, causing her to fall and strike her head on the floor. Police said the caregiver pulled out his cell phone and began taking video of the incident before calling 911.
Police were shown the video, which allegedly showed Duran using the back of his hand to slap the girl’s mouth twice in a hard manner. The video also shows Duran drag the girl by her feet toward him, police said.
Duran was arrested and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he is initially being held without bond.
The girl suffered non-life threatening injuries, police said.
