COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A foster mother was jailed without bond Friday on suspicion of first-degree murder and felony child abuse after the death of a 2-year-old foster child.
Authorities said Aliz Vick died Wednesday, a day after suffering what a neurosurgeon described to police as a “violent blow to the head.”
Foster mother Jules Lynn Cuneo, 34, initially told El Paso County sheriff’s deputies the girl had hit her head when she fell out of a parked vehicle, The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported. She also told deputies she was bouncing Aliz on her knee when the child fell and struck her head on a coffee table.
According to an arrest affidavit, Cuneo, the mother of 8-year-old twins, later allegedly confessed “she had gotten angry” with Aliz and had thrown her.
Cuneo’s next court date was set for Oct. 22. A message left for Cuneo through jail officials wasn’t immediately returned.
Joe Breister, law enforcement bureau chief for the sheriff’s department described Cuneo, a single mother, as a “professional foster parent” who supported herself on the payments for caring for foster children. Payments range from $400 a month up to $1,000 for special-needs children.
Sheriff’s officials are also investigating a series of other child-abuse complaints against Cuneo dating to 2003.
On May 8, a couple of months after Aliz and her 9-month-old brother, Anthony, were placed in Cuneo’s home, a neighbor complained to the county Department of Human Services of sounds she picked up over her baby monitor, Breister said.
The neighbor said she could hear the child screaming for Cuneo to get off of her and Aliz crying that she couldn’t breathe, Breister said. Cuneo weighs 300 pounds, according to jail records.
Breister said there was no indication the complaint was investigated.
Barbara Drake, director of the Department of Human Services, said Thursday the law prohibits her from talking about specific cases. She said her staff would have investigated any credible complaint. About 400 children are in foster care, she said.
“This is a terrible tragedy,” Drake said. “We are going to do a thorough internal investigation. We’ll turn every stone to understand and improve our role in terms of this.”
Breister said his agency was getting a subpoena for the files of Kids Crossing, the child-placement agency that hired Cuneo as a foster parent. He said Aliz’s grandparents had made several complaints to Kids Crossing.
An agency representative declined to comment.
Aliz’s grandmother, Kathleen Heil, confirmed that she had made three complaints after picking up Aliz and Anthony from Cuneo’s home for visits.
“We saw bruising on her face, a fat lip, a black eye and a broken tooth one time,” Heil said through sobs and tears. “At first, I thought Jules was a godsend. Then things changed. She didn’t want to give me information about my grandkids.”
Heil said one time Aliz indicated Cuneo had hit her.
Heil said the children’s parents, 20-year-old Ashley Lindenberger and 22-year-old Christopher Vick, are in jail. Heil said Lindenberger is being held on drug charges. Vick is serving six months for assault, according to jail records.
Cuneo’s twins are now in foster care, Breister said. Aliz’s brother, Anthony, also remains in foster care, Heil said.
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Information from: The Gazette,
