I’ve seen my share of horrific events and crime scenes.
Nothing comes close to the photo below.
Prosecutors say Gabriel Trujillo, 4, was tortured and starved in the months before his death.
The first time I saw it, I was in the courtroom for a child abuse trial.
You may not like that I posted this image and you may feel it’s exploitative.
I posted this photo because we need to see images like this to remind us child abuse is a very real reality.
We hear about it, but we often don’t see it.
This little boy lived a torturous life in the months before he died, according to prosecutors.
The least we can do is acknowledge his pain and suffering and try to remember there are thousands of other children out there like him who are still alive.
Reporting child abuse is important. You may save a life.
Yes, it may be uncomfortable, but that awkwardness doesn’t compare to the pain and suffering that needs to be stopped.
This little boy WAS four-year-old Gabriel Trujillo, a victim of severe child abuse who eventually died last year.
Weeks after this photo was taken, Gabriel passed away as a result of a severe head injury.
This little boy, according to prosecutors, was beaten, tortured, starved and forced to stand naked outside in the cold as punishment.
Prosecutors said in court that the above photo captures a moment when his grandmother, Becky Trujillo, would force the little boy to stand in front of the bathroom mirror and repeat the words, “I am a monster.”
Becky Trujillo escaped a first degree murder conviction during her trial.
Instead, the jury convicted the grandmother of a lesser charge…negligent child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.
While we haven’t heard from members of the jury, it’s clear they did believe the grandmother was responsible for negligence and child abuse.
