CURRY COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – One of the Texico moms accused of abusing kids in the home, including chaining them to a bed to keep them from the fridge, is taking a plea deal.
When Children, Youth, and Families Department (CYFD) workers showed up at Jayme Kushman and Jaime Sena’s Texico home in July of last year, they saw a grim scene.
Lapel video shows poor living conditions, and CYFD workers claimed the home had backed up sewage and no running water. The workers also said, on lapel footage, they had removed the kids from the home prior to that day after allegations the couple put them in dog kennels.
This time, the couple was accused of starving the kids, including chaining them to the bed to keep them from grabbing food from the fridge.
“Based on the report we got and the kids did confirm everything, and we saw the chains. We saw the locks; the kids told us how it works. The kids were very forthcoming this time,” said the CYFD worker to the couple in lapel footage.
Initially, Kushman and Sena were each facing 23 child abuse-related charges. Now, Kushman is set to take a plea deal.
According to court documents, Kushman is pleading guilty to five felony counts of child abuse with 13 other charges getting dropped. The move lowers the time she faces behind bars from about 53.5 years to a maximum of 15 years in prison and two years of parole. A hearing date for the plea has not yet been scheduled.
The jury trial for Sena is scheduled for June. The arrest of the couple also led to the arrest of Kushman’s former partner, Lora Melancon. She is charged with five counts of child abuse and is also set to go to trial in June.
