A 22-year-old Navajo woman from Navajo, N.M., has pleaded guilty to federal assault and child abuse charges.
Elmira Curley, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, entered her guilty plea today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to assault resulting in serious bodily harm and child abuse.
According to court documents, Curley abused a nine-month-old infant on March 14, 2016, by putting the infant’s legs and feet into a bathtub of scalding hot water, causing severe burns.
The infant-victim was hospitalized for several weeks and received skin grafts to repair second- and third-degree burns sustained as a result of the assault and abuse.
Curley is currently in federal custody and will remain detained pending her sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
The sentencing agreement recommends a prison term of 120 months followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.
The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall.
Curley’s guilty plea comes after she was arrested on July 6, 2016, on an indictment charging her with abusing a child resulting in great bodily harm.
Key Facts
- State: New Mexico
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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