Dad: Twisted limbs until bones broke

Union Leader ^ | 11/13/04 | Scott Brooks

[kattracks]

NASHUA — Jose Meza repeatedly heard his baby daughter's bones snapping while he squeezed her and tugged her limbs to stop her crying, but it was several weeks before he sought medical treatment, according to newly released court documents.

The 25-year-old Manchester man was arraigned yesterday in Nashua District Court, where Judge James Leary raised his bail to $100,000, cash only.

Meza, who is being held at the Valley Street jail in Manchester, faces three counts of first-degree assault for harming 3-month-old Mariah Meza. Police say he started abusing the girl when she was just two weeks old, ultimately leaving her with 17 fractured bones in her limbs and chest.

MEZA

JACKSON

"A 12-week-old child was subject to at least 12 broken bones, one for every week that she's been on the planet," Lt. Tim Goulden told Leary while asking to raise Meza's bail, which had been set by police at $50,000. Goulden said Meza is a danger to the community and poses a flight risk because he is a Mexican citizen.

The suspect also failed to appear for a court date in Nashua four years ago, Goulden said.

Meza, who appeared for the arraignment by video from the Nashua police station, said he could not afford bail and asked for the court's compassion.

"I want another chance to take care of the baby," he said.

Leary was unmoved. He ordered that Meza could have no contact with his daughter "in any way, shape or form." If he posts bail, he may not come within 100 yards for her, and he may not travel beyond the New Hampshire border.

Meza is scheduled to return to court Nov. 23 for a probable cause hearing.

Sgt. Andrew Lavoie of the Nashua police said the department is continuing its investigation of the alleged abuse and may yet bring more charges against Meza.

Prosecutors are still waiting to arraign the baby's mother, 17-year-old Latoya Jackson, of Nashua. Jackson, who was released on $2,000 bail, is charged with false report, endangering the welfare of a child and hindering Meza's apprehension. She is scheduled for a Nov. 30 arraignment, according to Lavoie.

Jackson confessed to police that she and Meza drove their daughter to Mexico Oct. 16, several days after Mariah sustained a severe arm injury while Meza hastily changed her clothing, according to the court documents. X-rays taken at the hospital there confirmed the girl's arm was broken, police said.

Meza told police the Mexican doctors put Mariah's arm in a sling and instructed them to get further treatment when they returned to New Hampshire, the documents say. The couple returned home Nov. 5, at which point they threw away the sling and never sought treatment for the arm, police allege.

Three days later, Meza was changing the baby's diaper when she became fussy and was crying, police wrote. Out of frustration, Meza held the girl's right leg down and twisted her left leg until he heard the bones break, he allegedly confessed. Still, he did not seek medical treatment for his daughter until two days later, according to police.

Mariah was treated at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center this past Wednesday, and the staff alerted the police. She was later transported to Children's Hospital in Boston, where she had surgery and is expected to recover, police said.

"The doctor who checked the child (Thursday) said it was the worst case of child abuse he had ever seen," Goulden said.

On other occasions, Meza shook the baby to stop her crying, he allegedly confessed. When the girl was a little more than one month old, Meza held her tightly against his chest and squeezed her until he heard bones breaking, police say he told them. He put the baby to bed and checked her chest, but did not see any injuries, although he knew he had hurt her, the documents say.

The next week, Meza became frustrated while trying to dress Mariah, so he pulled her arm aggressively through the sleeve and listened as the arm broke, police wrote. Meza told Jackson he accidentally hurt the girl, and they decided not to take her to a hospital because they were scared he would get in trouble, police wrote.

Dr. Steven Birnbaum, who reviewed Mariah's X-rays at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, said he saw three or possibly four fractures in Mariah's left leg at the hip, knee and ankle, according to the court documents. There was one fracture to her right knee, a fracture to the humerus bone in her left arm, another to her right clavicle and approximately eight fractured ribs, the documents say.

Jackson's mother, Joyce Dorval, told police her daughter initially explained the baby was hurt in a car accident, police wrote. Jackson told her mother they would have to make up a story so authorities would not take Mariah away from them, so Jackson later told police a 4-year-old relative had dropped the baby, according to the documents.

Meza stuck with this story when first questioned by police but later admitted to abusing the baby in Jackson's apartment, the documents say.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Four years old...eleven pounds. Monsters truly are roaming the earth. Too bad there's no way to tell them apart until they commit their atrocities.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Oh my God.

[TheSpottedOwl]

It's pretty bad out there. I just pinged you to the third story posted here today about child abuse.

[SandRat]

With any luck, the illegal and his whore, will get the same treatment in prison as they gave to the baby. Right before they toss his illegal butt summarily baqck across the border.

[B4Ranch]

>>What is the White House thinking??<<


Why is the White House not thinking??

[usmom]

There are times when some people should not be allowed to breed this was one of them...

And at a mere 17 years of age, just imagine how many other lucky children she will bring into the world to be abused by her and her smorgasbord of boyfriends. Pure, worthless, trash.

[NewRomeTacitus]

Right before they toss his illegal butt summarily back across the border.

Catapult the carcass as a message. It seems the child abuse started 17 years ago when an idiot named Jackson named their baby LaToya.

[truthkeeper]

Good God, how incredibly sick and twisted a mind.

[HiJinx]

Folks down here went one better. A young man (mid-20s?) assaulted the daughter of a large family in Gilbert, AZ.

He fled to Mexico to avoid the wrath of the family.

Three months later, hunters found the weathered remains of a young man, all of limbs were broken; he was found in a rather large clump of Prickly Pear cactus.

He had failed to avoid the family...

[fortunecookie]

This is revolting, beyond the imaginations of most. In his perverted mind, slowly breaking her bones would somehow STOP her from crying??? That poor child. How she must have suffered, must still be suffering. My prayers go out for her.

[StarFan]

Headline didn't register but after reading the first few sentences I had to stop reading as nothing gets my stomach churning more. My family knows to keep any news of child abuse far away lest I search these bast*rds out and do to them exactly what they've done to a poor harmless child. I hope they were arrested and will spend the next 50 years in prison where they too might feel the pain of broken limbs.

[Robert Drobot]

How is what he did different from crushing a baby's skull and ripping it limb-by-limb from its mothers womb?

The state approved torture and murder of children capable of living outside the womb, and a horrific torture of a child living outside the womb can not be morally/ethically rationalized.

The dismemberment of a defenseless human being living inside a womb with the intent to murder, and the intent to to inflect immeasurable, but not lethal, pain on a defenseless human being outside the womb, are both clear evidence of humanity's ethical and moral insanity.

This week a man was convicted of murdering a human being living inside a womb, while medical science was performing like murders in the offices dedicated to planned murder.

In Florida, the state has been seeking to torture and murder a woman by depriving her of food and water for the past eleven years. Her name is Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

Intense public pressure from around the world brought Florida politicians from under their rocks, and forced the five Roman Catholic bishops to abandon their refusal to denounce this barbaric murder - sanctioned by the courts of Florida - both the politicians and the bishops now allege they are in Terri's corner. The bottom line is the Florida courts have not been stopped from murdering another defenseless human being.

In its march through time, mankind has yet to earn the title, 'civilized'.

[deaconjim]

Put him in Reidsville State Prison in Georgia for life, or 30 days, whichever comes first. He won't make 30 days.

[Robert Drobot]

If you have a 'Terri' list, might I suggest it be put to use here. There's an obvious correlation relative to society's capricious application of 'right' and 'wrong' actions, as well as insensitive edicts coming from the more fortunate in life and limb toward those who have no advocate - the faceless and defenseless unborn, and the cosseted crippled, aged and mentally handicapped Citizens in America.

[Robert Drobot]

both the politicians and the bishops now allege they are in Terri's corner

Addendum: Neither have taken the opportunity to visit Terri. Notable among them is the governor of the state of death.....Jeb Bush, who when asked about the plight of Terri - before his feet were put to the fire - "....the system...." must be trusted.

So much for the kinder, gentler Bush family values.

[abner]

I wish I could adopt her. This is such a sad story.