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ST. GEORGE — A St. George mom charged with aggravated child abuse after her 4-month-old infant arrived at the hospital with multiple fractures entered a plea this week to avoid stiffer charges.
During a review hearing held on Friday at the 5th District Court in St. George, Jessica Lynn Archuleta, 27, pleaded guilty to three third-degree felony counts of aggravated child abuse and one count of tampering with a witness. The guilty plea was made under the terms of a plea agreement, which Prosecutor Jerry Jaeger said was the only offer on the table; otherwise, the state was considering adding an enhancement on the aggravated child abuse charges.
The case was filed after Archuleta brought her 4-month-old infant to St. George Regional Hospital on Jan. 19. The baby had a cut under her nose, which Archuleta said happened when the child fell off a bed.
After physicians found the infant suffering from more injuries, which included a skull fracture that reportedly caused brain bleeding and multiple broken ribs, the baby was flown to Primary Children's Hospital and police were called.
