Gresham foster dad sentenced in abuse case
By Associated PressPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A former foster parent accused of beating or shaking a 2-year-old girl blind pleaded no contest to attempted assault and was sentenced to 30 months in prison. But Cesar Cruz-Reyes Sr., who would have faced 7 years if convicted of the original first-degree assault charge, maintained his innocence at Monday's hearing. "The truth will come out," said Cruz-Reyes, 38, "because I know I didn't do this." The girl, Stephanie Kuntupis, entered state custody in January 2007 when she was 22 months old. Her parents had been arrested on meth charges. Stephanie went to the home of Cesar and Michele Cruz-Reyes, a Gresham couple with two children of their own. In June 2007, according to prosecutors, Cruz-Reyes either bashed or shook Stephanie's head so violently she fell unconscious with bleeding around her brain and eyes. The girl, now 3, is still blind in one eye and struggles with developmental delays. The Oregon Department of Human Services later acknowledged that child-welfare workers didn't interview Cruz-Reyes during a re-certification of the home, didn't make sure he had completed the required 10 hours of foster-parent training and didn't perform a criminal background check on a number of his aliases. Workers knew Cruz-Reyes had been convicted of lying to police in 1992, but determined that was long enough ago that it wouldn't affect his eligibility to be a foster parent. Stephanie's parents, Stephen Kuntupis and Monique Peals, attended the sentencing. They told The Oregonian newspaper they are drug-free and trying to regain custody of Stephanie and her older brother. The couple said they were pleased to know Cruz-Reyes is going to prison, but wanted a lengthier sentence. "Thirty months?" Stephen Kuntupis said. "It should be 30 years." |
Weather & TrafficWeather & Traffic
Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV. Stay ConnectedYouNews
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled.
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
|
Most Popular
Viewer Poll |
KATU, 2153 N.E. Sandy Blvd.,
