A Texas deputy started weeping as he described the heinous details surrounding a child-abuse case that saw a toddler being tethered to a door like animal and a boy he thought was near death.
Bexar County Deputy Louis Estrada gave emotional testimony on Monday for the trial of Deandre Jerome Dorch, who was charged with two counts of injury to a child-serious bodily injury.
Local authorities responded to calls on April 28, 2016, about the two children crying. One was said to have been crying for at least seven hours before officers were contacted.
Bexar County Deputy Louis Estrada gave emotional testimony on Monday for the trial of Deandre Jerome Dorch
Dorch, then 36, was charged with two counts of injury to a child-serious bodily injury
Estrada choked up as he described how the two children were found crying in the backyard of the home in the North East side of San Antonio.
He stated that the children were tied so tight that they could hardly move. The officers then decided to break protocol and take pictures of the three-year-old girl and four-year-old boy.
‘This was something I knew was not right, was not normal,’ said Estrada, Chron.com reports
Estrada detailed that the two kids were bound by their ankles and wrists and lay in their own feces. It was believed the kids had been left outside for several days.
With the help of another deputy, Estrada kicked the door in to get access to the back because he saw the little girl’s wrist tied so tightly above her head that she couldn’t sit or stand.
Estrada choked up as he described how the two children were found crying in the backyard of the home in the North East side of San Antonio
As soon as he freed the girl, Estrada said that she latched onto him and never let go.
‘She just put her arms around me and her head on my chest,’ he said while crying. ‘I could tell she was relieved and comforted.’
As soon as he freed the girl, Estrada said that she latched onto him and never let go
Estrada soon saw the girl’s brother lying motionless on the ground and chained at the ankle to a dog spike that was attached to the ground.
‘I thought he was dead,’ Estrada stated.
Inside the house, Deputy Calvin Anderson shared that there were clothes and bedding strewn throughout the house. Only a couch and a TV were also found inside.
Trash, toys, a teddy bear, and feces were also shown to be outside.
The pictures showing the scene continued to make the officer weep, especially one showing the three-year-old girl bound by her wrist.
‘There’s certain things in law enforcement you expect to come across. However, there’s things you don’t expect to see and really don’t expect will happen. It takes you back a bit,’ he added.
At the time 36, Dorch and 36-year-old Porucha Phillips shared that they were watching the kids for friend Cheryl Reed.
All three knew each other from California and had moved to San Antonio. Reed shared that the kids were in Phillips’ care.
At the time 36, Dorch and 36-year-old Porucha Phillips shared that they were watching the kids for friend Cheryl Reed
All three knew each other from California and had moved to San Antonio. Reed (left) shared that the kids were in Phillips’ (right) care
When deputies free the two children, they found six others who were inside and had no adult supervisors.
All the children ranged from ten months to 11 years. Three of the children were found to live with Dorch and Phillips.
Dorch was said to have had to work during most of the time of the alleged abuse so his participation was drawn into question.
Now 38, he is the first of the three to go to trial for the case.
In October, he pleaded guilty to two counts of injury to a child-serious bodily injury and was sentenced to 50 years in prison on each count.
Both sentences will run at the same time.
Reed is currently in jail waiting trial.