A woman faces up to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to abusing her 3-year-old daughter, who was starved to the point that doctors were worried her organs could be permanently damaged.
Kathleen Sanchez, 23, pleaded guilty in Denver District Court to one count of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.
Sanchez, and her husband, Kenny Sanchez, 30, are both charged in the case, , when an off-duty officer saw the family in a store and reported his concerns.
The girl, who weighed 19 pounds at the time, and her two siblings have been adopted since then, said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorney’s Office.
“Kathleen and Kenny no longer have custody of those children and her health has recovered,” Kimbrough said.
The two failed to appear at their trial, which was scheduled in July last year. In December 2014, they were arrested in Alabama.
Kathleen, who remains in custody at the Denver County Jail, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4, and could get 10 to 16 years in prison.
Kenny Sanchez is scheduled to go to trial on July 21.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or twitter.com/dpmcghee
