Heather Trujillo

Background

Heather Trujillo was a 16-year-old Johnstown girl accused of beating to death her 7-year-old half-sister, Zoe Garcia. She was a teenage Johnstown girl who was later 17 when she pleaded guilty to child abuse negligently causing death. Trujillo was also described as the victim’s older sister (Zoe was referred to as her sister) and was babysitting Zoe on the night of the attack.

Zoe Garcia was described as "a beautiful little girl." She died on Dec. 6 from "blunt force trauma" to her brain and central nervous system, according to the Weld County Coroner.

Trujillo’s mother was Dana Trujillo, 30, who was at work at a bar at the time of the incident. Dana Trujillo later said: "My life was turned upside down in a flash of an instant. It's so hard because I already lost one baby, and now I'm losing another."

Zoe’s father, Anthony Garcia, 28, of Sacramento, Calif., said he and Dana Trujillo had joint custody of Zoe and that he had discovered her whereabouts after a three-year search. Garcia said: "I didn't believe it." Garcia also said: "New Mexico child services took the kids away twice, then gave them back. Here, they did nothing." Garcia said: "I was working on getting papers for the custody of Zoe." Garcia said he learned of her death Dec. 7.

Other family relationships included Trujillo’s sister, Erika Hoffman, who said: "It's just torn the family apart," and that Hoffman said Trujillo loved her children and did not believe Trujillo would put them in danger. Hoffman said county social services had taken Trujillo’s twin daughters after Zoe’s death.

Heather’s father is unknown, and Garcia stated that Anthony Garcia had a 9-year-old girl living with him in California, and Zoe.

The offence

On Dec. 6, 2007, Trujillo and her boyfriend, Lamar Roberts, 17, were babysitting Zoe Garcia, 7, and Zoe’s twin 3-year-old sisters in Heather’s mother’s home in Johnstown while Dana Trujillo worked at a bar. Police said Zoe asked Roberts to stop assaulting her before she blacked out. Authorities alleged that the pair hit, kicked, and body-slammed Zoe while imitating the violent video game "Mortal Kombat."

Investigators said Trujillo and Roberts were emulating the violent video game "Mortal Kombat" when they attacked Zoe while babysitting her. An arrest-warrant affidavit said the teens kicked, karate-chopped, and body-slammed Zoe while imitating the video game at the home of Heather's mother, Dana Trujillo, in Johnstown.

The Weld County Coroner said Zoe died of blunt-force injuries. An autopsy showed that Zoe had a broken wrist, more than 20 bruises, swelling in the brain, and bleeding in her neck muscles and under her spine. The autopsy also indicated that a skin flap near her tongue had been torn. The information attributed to the autopsy further stated that Zoe lost consciousness and stopped breathing.

Trujillo acknowledged wrestling viciously with her sister during a battle she called "Mortal Kombat." Trujillo said she and Roberts were acting out the video game "Mortal Combat" by savagely hitting and kicking Zoe, even dropping her on her side, which broke her wrist.

The arrest affidavits and subsequent accounts said Roberts boasted to a friend that he was a martial-arts expert and that he admitted being drunk that night. The affidavits said Roberts body-slammed the girl and kicked her in the chest so hard she did not get up. Roberts claimed to be a martial-arts expert with his hands registered as "lethal weapons." Roberts said Zoe had asked him to stop hitting her but that he did not, stating: "...I was drunk."

A witness told police that Roberts said Zoe had told them to stop wrestling. According to the affidavit, when the witness asked why they did not stop, Roberts responded, "I don't know, I was drunk."

Other statements attributed to Roberts in the affidavit included that he said he performed a back kick on her and kicked her again as she ran toward him, and that she fell back and did not get up. The affidavit also stated that after Zoe stopped breathing, Trujillo and Roberts waited 15 minutes before calling for help. They said they put her in a bath, which temporarily revived her, but she stopped breathing again. Roberts told investigators that he cracked an egg in her mouth "to see if she was messing around with them," and that the egg went down her throat.

Zoe was later pronounced dead at North Colorado Medical Center after police and paramedics were called.

Investigation

The Weld County Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide, declaring Zoe died from blunt-force injuries.

Authorities alleged that Zoe’s death yielded charges, and investigators also examined whether the teenagers’ conduct was influenced by the video game. Investigators said Trujillo and Roberts were emulating the violent video game "Mortal Kombat."

Zoe’s death was one of the cases examined by the state Department of Human Services. The department’s investigation found local social service agencies fell short in many areas dealing with child abuse claims.

During court proceedings, a director with Weld County Social Services said the state law prohibited her from discussing the situation. Judy Griego said: state law prohibits her from discussing the situation. Gloria Romansik, an administrator with Weld County Social Services, said she could not comment on the case.

Prior to Zoe’s death, neighbors and court records were described as suggesting a history of questionable circumstances. The article described court records in New Mexico and neighbors there and in Colorado suggesting that Dana Trujillo had a history of accusations of neglect and abuse of her children. It also described that Trujillo acknowledged Weld County social services workers had contacted her once after a complaint from school about a bruise found on Zoe, and she said the workers were satisfied it was the result of normal playing. Trujillo said: "My life was turned upside down in a flash of an instant. It's so hard because I already lost one baby, and now I'm losing another." (This quote appeared in connection with Trujillo’s comments outside court.)

It was stated that in November 2003, authorities in Socorro, N.M., filed three counts of abandonment or abuse of a child against Trujillo. The complaint stated that Trujillo left her children Heather, Zoe, and the 9-year-old in the house with a babysitter and did not return that night. A neighbor complained the next day, and police went to the house with the paternal grandmother of the Garcia girls and woke up the babysitter in the back bedroom. The girls said they had not eaten or bathed that day.

The article stated the girls were removed from the home twice, according to Garcia, and then returned to the mother. Garcia said: "She was already dead." (as part of his explanation about Zoe’s death and custody timing).

Garcia said he spent three years looking for Trujillo and Zoe. He said he received a call from the Boulder court system around Dec. 6 or 7 that he and Trujillo would have a custody hearing by telephone on Dec. 10. Garcia said: "They (Boulder) should have known something." Garcia said: "She was already dead."

Arrest

Heather Trujillo and Lamar Roberts were arrested Tuesday and charged as adults with child abuse resulting in death. They were each being held on $100,000 bond.

At an appearance on Dec. 21, 2007, a judge ordered them to remain in jail in lieu of $100,000 bail each. At that time, Trujillo, 16, glanced briefly back at her mother, Dana Trujillo. Roberts held back tears after a brief discussion with the judge.

The arrest-warrant affidavit said Zoe lost consciousness and stopped breathing and that the teens tried reviving her before calling Dana Trujillo and 911.

Police said Roberts told acquaintances after Zoe’s death that "his hands were registered lethal weapons."

Trial

Trujillo later pleaded guilty to child abuse negligently causing death.

Trujillo agreed to testify against Roberts. The agreement to testify was described as part of her plea deal with prosecutors. The account said Trujillo would testify against the co-defendant. The record also stated that, at Roberts’ preliminary hearing in July, testimony indicated Roberts was using her as a "scapegoat" in the case.

Trujillo also was required to testify against the co-defendant in the case during sentencing proceedings.

Sentencing

On Dec. 2, 2008, Trujillo was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The sentence was suspended if she successfully completed six years in the state’s youth-offender program.

At the time of sentencing described in July 2008, it was stated that the 18-year term would be suspended if she successfully completed six years in the Department of Corrections Youthful Offender Service.

The May 23, 2008 account said Trujillo, who was 16 at that time, pleaded guilty and would be sentenced July 2. It also stated she faced 12 to 18 years in prison.

Appeals

No appeal information was included for Heather Trujillo.

Outcome

Heather Trujillo pleaded guilty to child abuse negligently causing death and received an 18-year prison sentence on December 2, 2008. She agreed to testify against her co-defendant, Lamar Roberts.

Aftermath

After Zoe’s death, the Weld County Department of Social Services removed Trujillo’s 3-year-old twins from the family. The article stated that neighbors and school teachers said the department ignored at least five complaints about Dana Trujillo’s treatment of her children, and that the department refused to comment.

Trujillo and Roberts were described as being ordered not to have contact with each other if released, and it was stated they faced 16 to 48 years in prison if convicted (as adults) at the time of their Dec. 21, 2007 court appearance.

Trujillo acknowledged that Weld County social services workers had contacted her once after a complaint from school about a bruise found on Zoe.

Services were mentioned for Zoe in Johnstown, with the article stating they would be held next week but adding that no time had been set. The couple expected to go to court over where Zoe’s ashes would be scattered or buried.

Other details

Roberts was described as 6 feet tall and 175 pounds, and he admitted being drunk that night. The owner of the bar where Dana Trujillo worked was identified as Jairo Landeros.

Next-door neighbor Laura Valdivieso described Zoe and said: "Zoe was 'a beautiful little girl. She made friends with everybody.'" Valdivieso also said: "I gave her a jumprope, which she used almost every single day." Valdivieso said Zoe once asked for bread, which he understood to mean she was looking for food to eat, and that he gave her half a loaf. Valdivieso said: "Zoe helped me dig out some dandelions last summer. She was very sweet." John Valdivieso said: "When the police came to tell us she had died, my wife took it very hard. She started crying," and John Valdivieso said: "Zoe helped me dig out some dandelions last summer. She was very sweet."

Rhonda Simonetti was described as babysitting Zoe and her twin sisters twice, for four days each time. Simonetti said she noticed bruises on Zoe. Simonetti said: "The first time I asked her, she said she fell down the stairs," and Simonetti said: "The second time, she started crying and said Lamar had been hitting her." Simonetti said she took a day off to report the abuse but never heard back.

Jessy Golden said she contacted the Weld County Department of Social Services within the past few months when Zoe told her that a couch had fallen on the head of one of the twins. Jairo Landeros was described as buying the Corral Bar earlier this year after a fundraiser for Nikko Landeros was held there. The article also identified Nikko Landeros as the Berthoud wrestler who lost his legs in an automobile accident.