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HOLLADAY — A woman whose 9-year-old son was so severely abused that he was kept home from school so others wouldn't see his bruises has been sentenced to jail.
If Kyra Rae Pacheco, 32, of Holladay, hadn't finally taken her son to the hospital in November of 2016, the injuries the boy sustained "would have caused his death," according to charging documents.
But prosecutors say Pacheco should never have let the abuse get that far in the first place.
Pacheco's boyfriend, Sawyer Daniel Hutto, pleaded guilty in May to four counts of child abuse, a second-degree felony. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a charge of child kidnapping, a first-degree felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.
Pacheco was charged with child abuse, a second-degree felony, for not doing anything to stop or report the abuse.
The boy was treated for a brain injury, but initially claimed he could not remember how he was injured, court documents state. One doctor noted the boy seemed "nervous or frightened" when talking.
The day after the boy was taken to the hospital, all of the children in Pacheco's house — girls ages 4, 6 and 8 — were taken into protective custody by the Division of Child and Family Services. Several months later, the boy opened up to investigators.
He described various incidents of abuse by Hutto, such as having his head "violently" slammed into a wall three times with such force that it left dents, the charges state. Hutto also stood on top of the boy with all his weight, held a knife to his throat while threatening him, and subjected the child to various "punishments," such as putting him in a small closet with no light, according to police.
The abuse would occur mostly while the boy's mom was at work. The boy told police that Pacheco "didn't do anything because she was scared," the charges state.
In May, Pacheco pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of child abuse, a class A misdemeanor. She was sentenced to a year in jail on Monday. After being given credit for time served and having part of the sentence suspended, Pacheco was ordered to serve about four months in jail.
The judge also ordered her to submit a letter to the court.
"I plan to own up to my actions and make amends for my mistakes," she wrote in her letter. "You can rest assured that this will never happen again. This is not the person I am, and I am ashamed of myself for being so neglectful and not aware of my surroundings."
She went on to state in the letter that she has now been sober for three years and has also been attending therapy for women who are the victims of domestic violence, in addition to her treatment for substance abuse.
Support for victims of domestic violence is available around the clock at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) or by visiting udvc.org.
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition Hotline: 1-800-897-5465 (LINK)
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE)
- YWCA 24-Hour Crisis Line: 801-537-8600
