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EAGLE MOUNTAIN — The Utah County Sheriff's Office investigated two separate cases of suspected child abuse in Eagle Mountain over the weekend.
About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, deputies were called on the first possible child abuse case. A 7-year-old boy was at the American Fork Hospital emergency room with two broken bones in one arm.
The long-time live-in boyfriend of the boy's mother, Christopher Patrick Nieto, 28, of Eagle Mountain, was arrested for investigation of domestic violence-child abuse with serious bodily injury.
Nieto was reportedly involved in what some would consider a typical parenting situation of disciplining a child, but it was "not handled well," said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
The boy told detectives that Nieto "had slammed him onto the ground and told the victim not to tell anyone," according to a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court. "(Nieto) was attempting to spank the victim for being 'rude' while in the basement of the home. The victim further disclosed that the arrestee further grabbed the victim by the back of his neck and picked him up off the ground and then 'slamming' (as the victim described it) the victim onto the floor causing a fracture in his right arm/wrist."
Nieto pleaded guilty to misdemeanor DUI in July, according to court records, and was sentenced to probation. Cannon said there was no indication that alcohol was a factor in the child abuse case.
Just a few hours later Sunday in an unrelated case, deputies were called to Riverton Hospital where a 7-month-old girl was being treated for a broken arm. The injury also happened in Eagle Mountain, Cannon said. The girl's 17-year-old father was arrested and booked into the Slate Canyon Youth Detention Center for investigation of child abuse.
Contributing: Cleon Wall
