Teens Charged with Killing 7-year-old in 'Mortal Kombat' Game

[awakening2lite]

EXCERPT

Heather Trujillo told police that after they ate dinner, she and Roberts started wrestling, playing a game they called "Mortal Kombat." The affidavit says the two teens "tripped the victim, punching her in the stomach; karate chopped her lower arms, punched and pinched the victim's thighs, kicked her in the shins, slapped her stomach and buttocks, and poked at the victim's chest."

Trujillo says her half-sister did the same thing back in a playful manner, according to the affidavit. At one point, Trujillo says she picked her half-sister up to try to shake her, but dropped her on her right arm.

During the wrestling, Trujillo says Zoe closed her eyes. According to the affidavit, that's when Trujillo says it appeared something was wrong. Some time after that, the victim stopped breathing.

continued at source: http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=56705

http://www.wltx.com/assetpool/images/07122084434_mortal%20kombat%202.jpg

http://www.wltx.com/assetpool/images/07122084414_mortal%20kombat%201.jpg

[Claudia]

That poor little girl. I don't think there was really any play involved, they were simply beating on Zoe for the "fun" of it. 16 & 17 years old is plenty old to know what the h*ll they were doing. They broke her wrist, for Heaven's sake! Internal bleeding? This was NO game. :mad:

[awakening2lite]

That poor little girl. I don't think there was really any play involved, they were simply beating on Zoe for the "fun" of it. 16 & 17 years old is plenty old to know what the h*ll they were doing. They broke her wrist, for Heaven's sake! Internal bleeding? This was NO game. :mad:

Hi Claudia,
ITA with you. I don't think it was a game.

Here's another excerpt:
----------------
The grandmother of the twins, Peggy Jeffries, says she had concerns about the household.

"I was concerned about them eating and being well taken care of," Jeffries said.

Her concern peaked when she picked up Zoe from school one day and says she found bruises on Zoe's arms and chest. Zoe told Jeffries the bruises came from Roberts.

Jeffries says she contacted Social Services, but claims they never took the necessary action to prevent this tragedy.
--------------

Clearly, this had been going on for a while and no one did anything to stop it. Poor little seven year old child.

:1222423: for Zoe

Both teens are being charged as adult and face up to 48 yrs in prison if convicted.

[Claudia]

Hi Claudia,
ITA with you. I don't think it was a game.

Here's another excerpt:
----------------
The grandmother of the twins, Peggy Jeffries, says she had concerns about the household.

"I was concerned about them eating and being well taken care of," Jeffries said.

Her concern peaked when she picked up Zoe from school one day and says she found bruises on Zoe's arms and chest. Zoe told Jeffries the bruises came from Roberts.

Jeffries says she contacted Social Services, but claims they never took the necessary action to prevent this tragedy.
--------------

Clearly, this had been going on for a while and no one did anything to stop it. Poor little seven year old child.

:1222423: for Zoe

Both teens are being charged as adult and face up to 48 yrs in prison if convicted.

Hi A2L -

I saw what the grandmother was saying. That poor child, this may have been a regular thing for her. Who knows how many times she was left alone with these two & they subjected her to their "game". How does one become so sick & twisted at 16 years old that she could do this to her own sister???
I also noticed that Social Services was called, but they didn't do anything. That is becoming a very common, very disturbing theme in these types of cases. I am sick of children having to endure years of what I consider torture at the hands of a family member, too often the only thing that stops it is their death. Social Services needs to step it up. It's getting ridiculous.
:1222423: for Zoe

[Justiceguy]

Just tragic. And yes, I agree, 16 years old is old enough to know better. Even if Children's Services had responded to this, (which they MAY have done, we don't know), what would anyone suggest they have done? I'm sorry, I don't see what Children's Services should have done, without evidence as to who was the abuser, break up the family?

[Claudia]

Just tragic. And yes, I agree, 16 years old is old enough to know better. Even if Children's Services had responded to this, (which they MAY have done, we don't know), what would anyone suggest they have done? I'm sorry, I don't see what Children's Services should have done, without evidence as to who was the abuser, break up the family?

I don't know, but the child has been bruised badly before. How many times have we heard about a child dying at the hands of a parent, and CPS was called, yet nothing was done? Maybe someone should have come out and assessed the situation, talked to Zoe - she was 7 - she could have told who did it to her. I'd rather see a family broken up during an investigation than to see a child dead because nothing was done. This is just how I feel about it. There may be other ways of dealing with suspected child abuse that I haven't considered yet. I just want it stopped.

[Justiceguy]

I don't know, but the child has been bruised badly before. How many times have we heard about a child dying at the hands of a parent, and CPS was called, yet nothing was done? Maybe someone should have come out and assessed the situation, talked to Zoe - she was 7 - she could have told who did it to her. I'd rather see a family broken up during an investigation than to see a child dead because nothing was done. This is just how I feel about it. There may be other ways of dealing with suspected child abuse that I haven't considered yet. I just want it stopped.

I am in TOTAL agreement with you that I want it stopped. Yet we don't really know if the agency went out, if they interviewed the child, if they were working with the family, or anything. It is possible they did nothing, or did too little, we just don't know. There are not enough foster homes and not enough money to take every child out of a home for being bruised. That's just the way it is, and I don't like it either.

[Claudia]

I am in TOTAL agreement with you that I want it stopped. Yet we don't really know if the agency went out, if they interviewed the child, if they were working with the family, or anything. It is possible they did nothing, or did too little, we just don't know. There are not enough foster homes and not enough money to take every child out of a home for being bruised. That's just the way it is, and I don't like it either.

Well, I'm sure that is true about the foster homes & the money. It's a crying shame that the resources aren't available to make certain children are safe. I guess situations like these make me angry, and I don't consider all the logical answers to my own questions, logic goes out the window with me sometimes.

As far as CPS coming out, I was just going by what the grandmother said in the article, assuming it was true.

I don't know - that pretty much all I've got. I don't know what more to say about it. All I do know is that it makes me very sad, and I wish like hell something could be done.

[Sumanadevii]

You know...I agree that this mother had to know the "game" was being played and that her daughter was being hurt. She either didn't give a damn or turned her head from it. Either way, why hasn't she been arrested? She was responsible for this child. I don't think anything is going to change until we are serious about making people responsible.

[Claudia]

You know...I agree that this mother had to know the "game" was being played and that her daughter was being hurt. She either didn't give a damn or turned her head from it. Either way, why hasn't she been arrested? She was responsible for this child. I don't think anything is going to change until we are serious about making people responsible.

Exactly. No more sorry excuses. :mad:

You know the mother knew something was wrong. How could you see bruises on your child & not ask where they came from? This was a 7 year old, she could have told everything. Nobody asked, nobody cared. I wouldn't be surprised if she DID say something & was ignored. Either that, or she knew there was no use in telling because nothing would be done. I hope that the mother has to live with the guilt of this on her shoulders til the day she dies. Unfortunate thing - she probably won't. I'm so over this.

People these days have kids & I swear I have no idea WHY. They don't really want them, they can't possibly love them. The children live horribly. Neglected and ignored. I see it every day on a smaller scale. The children I keep, the parents bring them here sick, they don't care. It makes me so angry. These babies need to be home with their Mom when they are sick. They need care from their mother, not a daycare provider that has several other children to care for. I have no bed here for them to get all comfy in. They deserve so much more. They deserve parents that actually WANT to be with them, and care about how they feel. I even had a mother that had just had a baby, her first little girl, and after one week, she was complaining & saying how bad she wanted to go back to work. Whaaaaaaaat??? You couldn't have torn me away from my newborn baby. In fact, we struggled for years so I could stay home with him. It just disgusts me how the whole idea of family has gone down the toilet.

Sorry, got off on a rant there. I'm done now. *Deep breath - exhale.* Okay, better now. :0001:

[Roenick]

If anyone would have questioned her, she very well may have said it was in fact a "game", because that is what the older ones told her.

I don't see how that many bruises is considered a game especially with an older male, but if she seemed fine - child services may not have been able to do anything.
It falls on the parents to make sure each age group is playing responsibly.


I use to play with my younger cousins but never left bruises, even in physical games. I knew the limit.
I remember one time while baby sitting an 11 yr old boy we were goofing around and I hit the top of his shoulder, not meaning too of course, but my class ring left a small mark (not even bruise) I felt so bad and was out at the drive way waiting for his grandmother so I could tell her. She said he was tough and could take - as she knew it was not my intention.
A high school friend and I always played SLUG BUG... we'd leave bruises. The bigger the better but it was always in the arm and in mutual fun.


These two teens knew what the were doing and played their cruelty off as a game.

[Roamer]

I know of many cases that when CPS was called, they talk to the whole family together. Now, was this little girl going to tell the truth in front of the ones who were abusing her? Of course not, because they'd hurt her for telling.

Not saying that happened here, I've just seen it happen before. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

[Sumanadevii]

I know of many cases that when CPS was called, they talk to the whole family together. Now, was this little girl going to tell the truth in front of the ones who were abusing her? Of course not, because they'd hurt her for telling.

Not saying that happened here, I've just seen it happen before. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Before CPS ever gets to the door, the child has been told not to talk and exactly what to say. I remember my mother standing right behind the wall when I was to be talking to one privately. I was in seventh grade and had been well schooled in exactly what I was to say like a little parrot. You think a kid would talk given the chance? Not when they don't truth. They sure don't trust that the caseworker can protect them..