Kewa Pueblo Man Sentenced for Federal Child Abuse Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Cruz Tenorio, 29, a member and resident of Kewa Pueblo, N.M., was sentenced this afternoon to six months in federal prison followed by six months in a half-way house.  He will then be on supervised release for a year.

Tenorio pleaded guilty on March 11, 2013, and admitted abusing a three-year-old Indian child in 2011 by negligently tattooing the letter “I” on the child’s arm.  Tenorio admitted using rudimentary, homemade instruments, tools and unsterilized materials to tattoo the child, and that he did not take sufficient precautions to prevent possible infection.  Tenorio also acknowledged that he had no formal training in the application of tattoo body art when he tattooed the child at his home on Kewa Pueblo. 

During today’s sentencing hearing, Tenorio also was ordered to pay restitution in an amount adequate to ensure that the child victim is able to obtain any psychological and medical services necessary arising from the offense, including the removal of the tattoo.  Tenorio also is required to pay restitution to cover the costs of removing the tattoos he applied to another victim in March 2012, when the victim was 15 years old.

The case was investigated by the Southern Pueblos Agency of BIA’s Office of Justice Services and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Niki Tapia-Brito.