Santa Barbara County – What may well become one of the most sensational criminal investigations in the area’s recent history got off to a running start on February 10th with the arrest of Georgina Imelda Ruiz-Bojorquez, a 50-year old day-care provider offering her services from her Santa Maria home.
According to Santa Maria Police Department Sgt. Paul Van Meel, an arrest warrant for Bojorquez was obtained pursuant to an investigation of multiple allegations of child abuse and torture taking place at her facility. “The investigation resulted in numerous interviews and the discovery of multiple witnesses and victims,” he reported to the media.
While Van Meel did not release any allegation details or the location of the child care facility operated by Bojorquez, he indicated that reports of “repeated physical abuse of young children” detail incidents taking place between 1998 and 2005 and “involved very young children”.
Bojorquez was arrested at her home and transported to Santa Barbara County Jail where she was booked on multiple charges of child abuse and torture, with her bail at that time set at $500,000. Immediately following, however, SMPD detectives became aware that Bojorquez had active plans to post bail and immediately flee the country upon her release.
Pursuant to that information, detectives requested that the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s office revoke her bail to hold her over for preliminary hearing. That request was granted and upheld by Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge Gustavo Lavayen, and she remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
Read more:
Noozhawk: SM woman arrested on child-torture
CalCoastNews: Day care provider arrested
