Deming, NM — A Deming couple remains in custody after being charged with child abuse for allegedly locking their 6-year-old daughter inside a shed without electricity, water, or proper sanitation.
Bruce and Samantha Anglin were arrested after Luna County deputies responded to a home on June 20 on Pequeno Road NE. Deputies found the child locked inside a wooden shed with a metal roof, where temperatures had reached over 100 degrees. According to court documents, the child had visible bruises, a swollen eye, and told deputies she was hungry and thirsty.
Inside the shed, deputies found a bucket used as a toilet and a small loft with a cushion but no blankets. The child said she had eaten only a tortilla and diced onion the day before.
Bruce Anglin admitted to locking the child in the shed as punishment. Samantha Anglin told investigators she was aware of the situation but claimed she tried to convince her husband to let the child out.
The child and her 2-year-old sister have been placed in state protective custody. Bruce Anglin has pleaded not guilty and both remain in the Luna County Detention Center awaiting trial.
